Hindrance
by xMissxPepperx
Summary: Sakura Haruno has lived her life thinking she was weak...pathetic. However, when she is captured by the Akatsuki for reasons unknown to her, certain events make her question, is she really a hindrance? ItaxSaku ON HIATUS
1. Prologue: Tension

**Disclaimer:** unfortunately, I do not own Naruto, but a girl can dream, ne?

**Hindrance**** Prologue - Tension**

"It _always_ rains when we're sent on a mission," came a grunt from the left of her.

Sakura swiveled her sea green eyes over to a thoroughly disgruntled Naruto. He trudged along the dirt track which was now speckled with water droplets, arms folded tightly across his chest. She gazed absent-mindedly at him with understanding. She couldn't blame him for sulking; there was only so much rain one could put up with, and she too was forgetting how satisfying it felt to be properly dry.

Turning her head to the right, she noted with a hint of annoyance that her highly respected ex-sensei: Hatake Kakashi, was still pouring over his 'Icha Icha' book, walking level set on cruise control. Inner Sakura expressed an urge to teach him a violent lesson for reading those cursed books in front of her.

Then again...when did he ever listen?

She sighed, scowling and looking disdainfully up at the heavens, when the rain started to come down harder. Her body screamed for a rest and a steaming bath to sooth her aching limbs, but she would be damned if she was going to show weakness in front of the lads. In fact, Sakura Haruno had not shown signs of weakness to anyone, since the night Sasuke Uchiha walked away from the Hidden Leaf Village. That was exactly six year ago to the day, and in those long years, Sakura had not once cried.

Soon after that painful night, she swore to herself that she would no longer be a hindrance to anyone. She trained daily with the Hokage Tsunade, pushing herself to the limits of her mental and physical capacity. Her skin still bore the faint scars, tracing the contours of her hands; a personal reminder of what she had been through.

These long hours of pain and dedication, wrought a shocking change to the bright but weak Sakura, who was constantly being shoved to the sidelines of battle. She now stood tall, taller than most shinobi, with strength that no one could have apprehended. Now, chief medic and ANBU squad captain, she was considered to be the strongest kunoichi in Konoha.

However, this new-found strength came at a price. Her eyes now attained a cold glaze, and she hid beneath an emotional mask to even the closest of friends. Heck, even _Naruto_ couldn't make her confess her true feelings. She had permanently lost her young, innocent sparkle, for the sake of her stubborn pride.

_'DAMN PRIDE!' _Inner Sakura wined.

That was the second time today that her feisty inner personality had appeared. It was never a good sign, usually meaning that she was irritated or nervous about something. Sakura didn't have to search hard to realize the problem. Her current mission had become a mental itch on her brain ever since Tsunade had issued it two days ago:

_Team Sakura was standing patiently outside of the Hokage's tower. Well, all but Konoha's number one, knuckle-head ninja, who was constantly pacing up and down the narrow wooden hallway. Each step on the oak planks was emitting a high-pitched creak. A vein popped in Sakura's temple as Naruto Uzumaki continued to pace. _

_'So much for keeping a low profile in front of the Hokage, I'm gonna STRANGLE him if he keeps this up!' _

_Naruto was however rescued from a premature death, when the double doors to the left of them swung inward. _

_Shizune greeted them with a smile and motioned for them to enter. Sakura bowed her head and returned a small, fake smile, before lining up with her team mates. Her attention then turned to the stern looking woman sitting behind her desk in front of them. Tsunade's hands were clasped, fingers interlocking with enough force for the knuckles to turn white. Sakura grimaced mentally. Her master was not drunk for once, meaning she wasn't exactly in the mood to start handing out cookies. Fantastic._

"_I'm glad to see you have all made it here on time", The Hokage stated, hazel eyes flicking briefly over to Kakashi as she spoke. If he noted her gaze, he continued to remain indifferent, eye crinkled into a smile. _

_Sakura also gave her ex-sensei a knowing look; Kakashi made it his trait to be late, for as long as she could remember. Looking smug, she mentally applauded herself for telling him the designated time of the meeting was two hours earlier than the scheduled. _

"_As you have probably realized, I will be sending you three out on an A-Class mission, which is to be treated with the up most confidentiality."_

_Naruto shifted on his feet, bristling with anticipation for the nature of the mission. Sakura also tensed with excitement; it had also been a while since she had been able to let loose. _

"_From previous missions, I know that you as an ANBU squad have flawless teamwork skills, which will be necessary for this task." Tsunade looked at each member in turn before lingering on Naruto, who was clearly struggling not to interrupt. _

"_Jiriah has informed me his resources are whispering…Akatsuki is on the move once again"_

_An image of an intimidating puppet master and his clay-molding partner flashed within their memories. Akatsuki were trouble, that was certain, and the struggle to retrieve Gaara's body was proof of that. _

"_Are they after Naruto again?" Sakura voiced aloud._

_Waves of concern washed over her for her best friend, as she glanced to the left of her. Naruto's hand was shaking slightly until he curled his digits into a tight fist, his own knuckles paling. Wide eyes met Naruto's and she almost gasped. Anger was radiating off of him, cerulean eyes sparking to scarlet with slits for pupils. Hesitantly, Sakura reached a hand to reassuringly touch his shoulder. Growling, he snapped his head to look down at her petite hand. Not until she could feel his muscles release tension, did she relax. _

_Tsunade ruffled the pages on the table in front of her before sighing. _

"_It seems that Akatsuki have a new priority for the moment," She hesitated, "Not that they wouldn't seize a chance to capture you," She added vaguely in Naruto's direction._

_He nodded sharply, gazing out of the window of the tower. Sakura released her breath slowly, unaware that she was holding it in the first place. If Akatsuki weren't actively looking for Naruto, they could let down their guard…slightly. _

"_What is their current goal then?" Kakashi asked quietly, almost hesitantly._

"_That is your mission ANBU squad 3. Haruno, you are squad captain, and Kakashi, second in command." Hatake nodded sharply. "Follow your targets under-cover, retrieve information on what they are planning, and then report back to Konoha. No fighting allowed, unless in emergency." She added staring pointedly at an aggravated Naruto. He 'tsked' and rolled his eyes. "Understood?" Tsunade questioned, not that anyone would dare to query._

_Sakura nodded briefly, reaching forward to collect the mission scrolls. Naruto exclaimed in approval. Kakashi however stepped forward, eying the Hokage curiously. _

"_Who is our target?"_

_The blunt statement changed the mood of the room immediately. Tension rose to the point where it could be sliced, and Shizune swallowed loudly. The seemingly innocent question would have been perfectly understandable in any other circumstance. This was Akatsuki though; any other circumstance would wither before it. _

_The two younger ANBU tuned their attention to a sharp point, waiting for names. _

"_Your targets for the upcoming mission have been involved within the group's most recent schemes, therefore spying on them should produce reliable information. Hoshigaki Kisame and Uchiha Itachi are two of the most feared shinobi in existence, so be on your guard at all times. _

_Nobody moved. The shock was still being registered._

"_This mission has no time-limit, therefore, until a significant amount of information is gathered, you will remain on duty. You will leave at 9:AM tomorrow. Dismissed."_


	2. Missions and Memories

**Disclaimer:** If I did own Naruto, then there would be Akatsuki plushies for all, but as I don't, we will have to suffer being plushieless. ;(

**Hindrance** **Chapter 1 – Mission**

'Uchiha Itachi…ne? That beings back memories, none I would want to display in my photo album though.'

'**I'm gonna kick his ass next time I see him, mission or not, CHA!**_' _Inner Sakura's eyes flamed with anger, fists raised.

The Sakura on the outside growled under her breath as she leapt through the treetops, on par with her team. Wood splintered under soles each time ANBU pushed off branches. They were passing the border of Fire Country, and the scenery had begun to adjust relating to their position. Rocks and boulders scattered the baron ground as they sprinted through the outskirts of The Hidden Village of Stone.

Flocks of crows screeched around them from the depths of the trees. If anything, this outburst pronounced the tense silence that was now draped like a muffler over them. None of the shinobi had spoken a word for at least an hour.

Previously, Kakashi had summoned the group of nin-dogs to aid them in their search, but the long wait till the canines reported back, was weeding paranoia into Naruto's system. Sakura watched as he shot his head briefly in all directions, calculating every noise or movement surrounding them.

He currently sported an ANBU mask moulded into the shape of a fox over his features. Ironic, even though the main objective of the mask was to conceal emotion, Naruto could still be read like an open book. From the way his head twitched, Sakura envisioned his expression to be narrow, swamped with caution. She and Kakashi also wore masks, but unlike Naruto, they had trained their movements to be unpredictable and feelings undecipherable.

Kakashi decidedly chose a mask in the shape of a husky dog. People agreed this character to suit him. While his outer appearance may seem approachable, mess with the copy-nin and it may be the last thing you do.

Sakura chuckled slightly as she recalled picking her mask. After three hours of disputation, she settled that a cheetah would suit her best. Naruto, of course had different views on the matter. Proceeding to suggest other animals, he commented that something more 'butch' would be better…Lets just say Tsunade had to fix many broken bones after that, thanks to Sakura.

'Baka-Naruto, I don't think that he'll ever learn. I almost feel sorry for the man, being at the brunt end of one of my punches is no walk in the park.'

Hatake Kakashi was also reminiscing about the past. Images of his previous team mates dwelled in the pool of his mind. Kakashi could never cease beating himself mentally for letting his friends slip out of his clutches.

'So much for following the rules, eh Obito?. You try to follow orders, but it turns out there is more at stake than a lousy reputation'. His heart wretched painfully. 'If only I had realised _that_ when you were still alive.'

He looked mournfully at his two remaining ex-students, now fuelled by heartache and anger.

'I'm gradually loosing my students again,' thought Kakashi glumly. 'When Sasuke left, they tried so vainly to put on a brave face, but now, even that is fading. They're growing up to a harsh reality that even I, 'The Great Copy Ninja' can't prevent. How can I be in every bingo book across the country, but still feel so helpless?'

The three shinobi were then suddenly brought out of their reverie by a cloud of smoke expanding next to them with a 'poof'. Landing with agility on separate bough, they back-tracked to find Pakkun looking up at them lazily, sitting back on his hind legs.

"You've located their position?" Enquired Kakashi, hands stuffed deeply in his trouser pockets. Even though his voice remained in the same 'carefree' tempo, Sakura noticed an underlying note of excitement in his tone. Pakkun continued to stare up at them dolefully at the trio, as he scratched behind his ear briefly, head bent low.

"The Uchiha and his partner are travelling leisurely through the city approximately 10Km from here. They seem to be in no apparent rush to pass through, but they are keeping to the shadows".

Sakura nodded in agreement. "That's understandable. Not many people would be comfortable with Akatsuki being present in their cities, even if they pose no threat. I'm surprised that they would be able to find an inn with their reputation."

"Money talks. The owner of the accommodation should be presumed to be bribed." Kakashi reasoned.

"Do you know where they are staying?" The female medic-nin asked.

"The trail dissipated before the scent led to anywhere significant. My guess is that they started to disguise their presence when they entered the city." The nin-dog replied, edging down to lie on the branch, paws stretched out in front.

A pause encompassed the group.

"Captain, we should get moving if we want to enter the city by nightfall. There's about half an hour until there's no visibility."

Sakura suddenly noticed how dark the sky had become during their discussion. A slight pink glow was being cast upon their skin, setting a warm ambience, even though the gradually decreasing temperature caused goose-bumps on their bare skin. She rapidly rubbed her forearms while stretching the muscles in her lower legs.

"Right guys, if Pakkun takes us to the point where the scent cuts off, we'll investigate all of the inns in the area…by force if necessary. However, it would be better if we didn't make a scene, our targets will be suspicious if we make a racket. The cheapest inns will be searched first, but we'll split up into 3 to cover more ground."

Sakura swung her bag from her shoulders to the ground with a dim clunk. Unzipping it with nimble fingers, she delved her hand in and extracted three one piece ear radios. She handed one to each team mate.

"If you get a lead on Itachi or Kisame's location don't hesitate to call for backup." Gesturing to the radio, she slipped it to her ear, secured it, and started to tune the device. Kakashi and Naruto followed her example, hanging onto her orders.

"I don't want anyone going up against two Akatsuki members solo, so if they discover you are following them, radio in and get the hell out of there. Otherwise, when you find them, contact the rest of us so we can re-group and gather information as a platoon."

Kakashi jerked his head to the side as a sign of understanding, and Naruto replied with a firm "Sakura-Chan".

Within the next few seconds, they were sprinting along the branches once again, headed toward the main city in Stone. Seconds passed into minutes and the sun lowered towards the horizon, revealing stars, pinpricking the darkness above.

Approaching the city with Pakkun and Sakura at the lead, Naruto's thoughts turned to Sasuke.

'It's been six years, and I still haven't brought Sasuke back to Sakura-Chan. Considering today is the date he left, she's holding up well, not that she would break down anymore.'

He looked with sadness at her back, now adorned with ANBU armour, instead of her old red training cloths.

'If you could see her now, Sasuke, you'd have a hard time leaving. Even on a mission, she's so beautiful; she's grown up now, in more ways than one…Sakura's strong, even though she denies it herself, but you broke her mind Sasuke. It's like a killing machine has taken her place and I admit…I'm scared. I'll spend my entire life trying to get you back and maybe when you've killed your brother you'll be satisfied, but I don't think I'll be able to make Sakura happy again. Neither of us will. She won't show it, but she feels so weak and never lets anyone help her. That's what scares me: to think that I can't make a difference can't save my friends. And _now_ to think, I'm going to spy on the man who started it all, Sasuke, your brother none the less. It's going to take a lot of stamina for me not to kill him where he stands. You may not realise this, but I need revenge on him as much as you do. He's caused us so much pain that I want to obliterate him. Guess that means we're rivals once again…ne?'

Ten minutes later, they had slowed to a halt in front of the city gates. Stone walls loomed above squad three. The adjusted their straps on their armour plates while the gate watchman looked over their entry papers suspiciously. Kakashi was prepared for this. The Country of Stone had been extremely cautious when accepting ninjas into their borders, ever since Orochimaru had launched his attack on Konoha all those years ago.

'Akatsuki must have sneaked in…There would be no way this guy would let two masterminds from an S-Class criminal organization pass his guard. I can only _guess_ how they jumped _that_ hurdle, then again, this is Akatsuki we are talking about; almost _anything_ is possible where they're concerned.'

Musing over this point for a while, it wasn't until the Chunin-ranked watchman was satisfied with the travel papers that he noticed that their group was getting ready to move forwards.

Their sandals made no sound as they scouted their surroundings. The city was buzzing with late-night activity. The crude sound of booming laughter echoed from every bar along the streets. Breathing deeply, the thick, welcoming smell of frying meat wafted towards them, causing their stomachs to growl impatiently. Naruto smiled contentedly…It smelt like home. Of course nothing could compare to the spicy smell of hot ramen that was oh so familiar to Naruto, but this was the closest thing that would remind them of Konoha for a long time. That said, if there was one thing Naruto was going to miss about home, it was Ichiraku ramen. He almost drooled at the thought, but restrained himself when he remembered the mission at hand.

Pakkun continued to lead them around the crowds of people, weaving in and out of the lives of civilians without quite touching the surface. Some curious people would glance at the ANBU shinobi, blinking at the unusual sight. However, when they looked again, the group would have vanished, swallowed by the festive activities of the locals.

Sakura's eyes reviewed the surroundings once again, eyes on alert for any sign of crimson clouds on a black background. Meanwhile, the nin-dog below her current eye level shuffled around a particular area, moist nose scuffing the dusty ground.

"The scent stops right here. The Akatsuki made certain to mask their scent _and_ the chakra trail that ninja normally leave behind, in a central location of the city. This technique was used most probably to deter hunter ninjas. Unfortunately, without a new lead, that is all the information I can determine from this situation. I regret that I can't be of any more use. If there is nothing else that I am needed for, I shall be off."

Pakkun swept his eyes over the ninjas as to confirm that his presence was not needed for future tasks. A small mushroom cloud of smoke dispersed from where he vanished, leaving imprints of his paws in the dirt.

Sakura's eyes unfocused for a brief moment. Variations of strategies circled within her imagination.

'For this mission to be a success, all of our skills will have to be manipulated in action to receive full affect. In general, our platoon has the upper hand: We travel constantly with at least three people to ensure reinforcements, and Akatsuki are also unaware that Jiriah's sources are leaking information. Therefore, if we _are_ discovered, the element of surprise will be in our favour. On the other hand, this amounts to barely anything when considering their extravagant amount of battle experience. The fact that they have the initiative to remove the residue from their path, shows they may _already_ be expecting ninjas tracking them. The odds may be three against two, but we're gonna have one hell of a hard time keeping track of the duo, let alone remaining hidden.'

'**Agghhh! This is **_**such**_** a **_**drag**_**! Why can't Akatsuki slip up and show themselves like the normal moron of a criminal? But**_** noooo**_**, they **_**have**_** to be smart!' **Flapping her arms hysterically, Inner Sakura continued her immature rant.

'Oh great, I'm beginning to sound like Shikamaru. I guess it serves me right for training with him.' Sakura sighed; her inner personality wasn't helping her concentrate in the least. Shifting sideways, Kakashi and Naruto joined her, huddling inwards to form a tight circle.

"As you all know, this mission is strictly to spy on Akatsuki, so hide your chakra constantly. This will also account for other ninjas in the vicinity. The fewer shinobi from other countries that know we are here, the better. Akatsuki may have allies within this city, so restrain your selves from picking fights as well. Gossip travels fast in this day and age; any sign of an outburst may result in our targets vacating the area. If that happens, we're back to square one at a disadvantage, so stay hidden."

Sakura raised her eyebrows at Naruto pointedly, being known for his rash actions and hot-headedness.

"Naruto. You will begin to search all of the inns and bars to the East of this point. Kakashi, the same order applies to you, but you will be scouting the West side of town. I will investigate the South. Pakkun is convinced that the Uchiha and Hoshigaki still remain within the walls, so we should be able to find them. If you finish your rounds, still not having retrieved any information on the pair, you can rendezvous back here. From there, you will either be radioed in for back up, or the rest of us shall meet you. If it comes down to the situation that we all return, continuing our search the next day will be our best option. Is that clear?"

Her team mates murmured their assent.

"Right, if you have any queries during the night, contact me. Take care you lot, but if you get your ass beaten in a petty fight, don't expect me to heal you." Smirking at her blonde and masked companions, she tensed her calf muscles and leaped up to the rooftops, leaving them in her dust.

Kakashi laughed softly. "She always says that, and yet she always heals us, no matter how petty the fight. I guess Sakura-Chan can't bear to see her friends hurt in battle…Must be the medic in her. What would we do without you Sakura, ne?" Turning on his heel, he too began to sprint through the streets at a pace only visible to that of a trained eye.

Starting to run, Naruto whispered softly to himself. "I don't know what we would do without your help, Sakura-Chan, but all I can say is thank god you are."

Ta daaaa, it's another chapter, straight out of the oven for your enjoyment. :D. Thanks so much for all the encouragement you guys have given me, it's like a computerised form of a warm bubbly feeling hehe.

I was going to include lots more in this chapter, but it was way too much…so I'm sorry, you'll have to wait for the next one. Ahh well, it builds up suspense…what will happen on the mission? Du du du! lol

Please review! I will accept constructive comments as well as pretty words. Get that guys? No harsh reviews…if you do, I'll set the darleks on you mwoahahaha

I hope you like this chapter, it took a while to write up. Look out for the next chapter, and stay safe…bexxx


	3. Discovered

**Disclaimer:** Do you reckon if I gave the owner a cookie, he would let me own Naruto instead??? Thought not...dang it!

**Hindrance:**** Chapter 2 - Discovered**

Sakura's limbs were bathed in the eerie glow of the moonlight as she sprinted. No sound could be heard apart from the consistent clunk of her sandals as they connected with the terracotta roof tiles. Panting slightly, she smiled as she slowed down to a slight jog. In the near distance, the building that she was looking for was clearly visible.

Halting on the rooftop opposite, Sakura eyed it critically while her breathing retuned to normal. The structure had about five floors in total. Various windows were smashed, allowing the threadbare curtains inside to flutter feebly. Judging by the way the concrete building leaned at an angle upon its foundations, she guessed that this was the cheapest inn for miles around. According to her source, hoards of rogue ninja stayed there to escape the police. For criminals to reside there undetected, the manager was either tight-lipped or well-paid. Sakura thought the latter to be the more likely option.

'So this is what Akatsuki have been downgraded to. For an S-Class organization with bounties coming out of their ear holes, you would have thought they'd pick a classier accommodation.'

'**God this place is a pig sty! Their accountant must be such a stingy sod! Sound like anyone we know, eh Sakura?**' Her inner mind smirked slyly while inspecting her fingernails.

'Shut the hell up. All shinobi know that a certain amount of money needs to be reserved for emergencies…We just save more than some is all.' Sakura tried desperately to stand her ground against the lame accusations. Her friends always teased her for being controlling with money, Inner Sakura being no different.

Waving off her retort, she replied in a bored tone: **'If you say so. Besides that, you should probably move your lazy ass before daybreak if you want to find the target.'**

Sakura hissed under her breath as her inner personality mocked her. Resigning to the truth, she somersaulted towards the ground, concealed by the shadows. Landing on all fours, the impact remained smooth, her flexible joints supporting the increase of pressure. She stood up and wedged her hands on her hips as she performed a mental checklist of the equipment in her backpack:

'Medic Equipment, sedatives, senbon needles, spare kunai, shuriken, exploding tags, food pills…I think that's everything.' She traced her shoulder strap over her collarbone until her fingertips reassuringly curled around the handle of her katana.

'That's everything.' Sakura confirmed to herself. She never went anywhere without her sword; even when _sleeping_, it was within close range of an outstretched hand. This particular weapon was given to Sakura by Tsunade on her 15th birthday. Crafted to her measurements and fighting style, it was in a word…beautiful. Cranes and Sakura trees graced the hand supports, incorporating brushstrokes of colour. This being such a distinctive pattern, her katana, along with the wielder, had become a legend throughout the shinobi nations. Beautiful as it was though, very few people had seen it in use. Those that lived to see it drawn again were either extremely lucky, or an ally.

Before entering the inn, Sakura removed her mask. Her pink hair now tumbled past her shoulders to swing below her waist, effectively obscuring her earpiece from prying eyes. Her hair had grown long once again. It was now considered her trademark, along with her fighting abilities.

She sighed heavily. 'Fighting would be so much simpler in this circumstance, not to mention quicker. I just hope what that guy in the bar said was the truth…even if I did drug him.'

* * *

**30 Minutes Earlier**

_Condensation gathered into droplets, coating her palm with moisture as she held her glass. Her sake, so far had been untouched and she was lapping up the information the barman was telling her. Taking another swig from the surreptitiously drugged drink Sakura had offered the man, he continued to slur answers to her questions. _

"_Could you tell me sir if you have heard of a certain group that goes by the name of 'Akatsuki'?"_

"_Hmm, I get all sorts of folk in here, not all of them wanted either. They're a rough looking bunch. If I had the guts, I'd send them on their way, they scare the customers away ye see. Loose it though whenever I get near them. Most I can do is offering them a drink."_

_Sakura nodded with what she hoped to be an understanding look on her face. Whistling through his teeth, the man carried on; apparently glad he had a captive audience. _

"_You should have seen the pair that was in here the other night. I could tell it was them from those cloaks they wear. The first fellow must have been over 7 feet tall; no way would I have wanted to mess with him, not after I saw the giant sword the guy carried.' He raised his eyebrows as he remembered what happened. Taking another generous gulp of sake, the barman narrowed his eyes and lowered his voice for dramatic effect. 'Saying that, I think it was the other man who scared me the most. One look into his eyes almost makes you want to scream out loud. Mentally…it's torture. You know he can kill you in an instant, but no matter how much you want to run, it's like some force is holding you in place.' Shuddering visibly, he downed the last of his drink. 'I hope I never see those eyes again. Such horrible, red eyes."_

"_Itachi…" _

"_Sorry miss, did you say something?" _

_Sakura raised her eyes to the man's features. The drugged glaze upon his eyes was fading. She would have to finish up quickly. _

"_It's nothing, don't worry. Excuse me sir, but do you possibly know where those two men are lodging at the moment?" She inwardly crossed her fingers._

"_You could try the hotel a few streets North from here. Massive concrete building, you can't really miss it. I wouldn't advise staying there though miss, a young girl like you should be careful around rogue ninjas and the like."_

_The stool Sakura perched on made an audible squeak of protest as she slid to the floor. Leaving her sake filled to the brim, she left enough money on the counter, including a tip for the barman's trouble. She thanked him with a small bow and left the bar. The tinkle of the doorbell resounded in her ears as the door closed behind her. _

'_Itachi Uchiha…I've found you.'_

* * *

Two streets away, another bell echoed innocently through the streets. It swung methodically backwards and forwards, in time with a walking pace. The straw hat it was attached to was pulled low over the occupants face; all that could be seen through the shadows was the hint of a strong, masculine jaw. Both said man and his companion wore long cloaks, with red clouds adorning a black background. The stench of blood emanated from their clothing, but if anything, this seemed to excite the taller man who was grinning broadly, shark-like teeth protruding slightly.

A clammy mist enveloped them as they travelled, deterring citizens from walking pass them. Sure enough, not one person could be seen on the road as they returned to the inn they were currently staying at.

Grit was disrupted upon the ground as a large, bound sword was dragged over the surface. The shark man flexed his muscles, swinging the sword upward to rest on his shoulder. The ends of the bandages were ripped, showing a jagged, rough finish underneath. Blood coated the tip, dripping slowly to the ground.

"Hmmm, so what do we do now? The last batch of possibilities showed no match for us, and all the while, Leader continues to get restless. We need to find the weapon soon. What is our new plan of action?"

Silence lapsed between the two. Most other people would have felt uncomfortable within the tangible silence that surrounded them, however, this was obviously a common occurrence, for the shark man continued to wait for an answer. The seconds kept ticking.

"We wait…" He raised his head several inches upwards. A sinister glow came from his scarlet eyes, reflecting onto his feminine lashes. Something big was about to happen and he wasn't one to neglect his curious side.

The taller man scoffed. His partner was definitely up to something and he generally didn't disappoint. He shifted his sword higher up onto his shoulder.

'Ah, so we wait again…'

* * *

Termites had obviously feasted upon the edges of the door Sakura stood before. A dim sliver of light could be seen of the inside around the worn edges of the door. The latch open, Sakura cringed mentally when it creaked. Shutting it, she turned her attention to the reception room of the dingy inn.

A pallid yellow light lit the room, coming from several 40 watt bulbs hanging limp from the ceiling. Cigarette smoke stained the walls, engrained into the dated, patterned wallpaper. The faint tune from a sound system could be heard in another room. The wooden floor muffled her footsteps slightly as she walked over to the desk; judging from the build up of dust, it had obviously not been cleaned in a while. Inner Sakura muttered her disgust with the words 'gross' and 'men' clearly distinguishable.

Leaning her elbows upon the counter, hip slung at an angle and ankles crossed behind her, she waited for the manager. Sure enough, the low sound of obscenities accompanied with rough shuffling came from the opposite room. Sakura dinged the bell on the counter to make sure he knew her presence-and for kicks.

"Yeah, yeah! I heard you the first goddamned time." A stringy man edged his way around the corner. His dark, lank hair hung around his hollowed cheekbones, giving him a drawn-out look. Inner Sakura shouted in protest:

'**You mean we have to seduce this…'** A pause gave her time to look at him once again, **'Ugh, thing!'** She scowled at the man with her face contorted.

'And you think I actually want to? It's the only non-violent way to get the information out of him without arousing suspicion.' She pouted dejectedly.

The manager's eyes widened briefly as he caught sight of Sakura; he obviously wasn't used to seeing good-looking kunoichi in his inn. Sakura flashed him a bright smile which made the man blush. His eyes travelled over her, taking in the sight, gaze lingering on some features more than others.

'**Why that perverted pig! If he does ANYTHING lecherous to us, I'm gonna castrate him! CHA! **Inner Sakura roared with anger, pumping her fists.

"Is there anything that I could do for you, miss?" The barman made his way around the front desk, fingers tracing the wood on the edge.

"Sir, I was wondering if you could tell me what room 'Uchiha Itachi' is staying in. I was informed that he was here." Sakura blinked in an innocent manner, an action far from the truth. "I'm a medic…see?" She gestured to the cross emblem tied around her right arm.

Hooking his thumbs in the belt loops of his pants, he rested his weight upon the wooden side. Narrowing his eyes suspiciously, a smirk appeared upon his chapped lips. "Is that the only business you have with him?" He bent down, tilting his head somewhat to eye her closely. Too close for her liking. "Well I can't imagine a little girl like you to pose much threat to any shinobi staying here…sure I'll give you his room number."

Sakura's eye twitched and a low growl formed in her throat. **'…Little girl? He'd do better than to underestimate me!'**

The manager returned to behind the counter. Skim reading through the names in a tattered logging book, he tapped his finger pad on a particular line and spun on his heels. He removed a key from its wall hook. It was swung teasingly upon its key ring in front of Sakura's face, hanging from the manager's outstretched finger. Sakura started to tap her foot from irritation, but it was well hidden as she smiled seductively. She reached to pluck the key out of his hands, when it was snatched away from her reach. She pouted up at the manager, while her fists curled.

"I'll give it to you…only if you spend some time with me…" The smirk plastered on his face widened, giving the man a maddening appearance. "…Alone."

With that comment, Sakura's resolve snapped cleanly in two.** 'Right, that's it!'**

Her chakra level fluctuated beyond normality. The sheer pressure of her energy source caused the bulbs overhead to smash. Chips of glass rained down on their heads, causing the manager to shield his face with his arms. Sakura's chakra continued to rise, acting as a beacon to other ninjas. Her aura darkened considerably, a murderous intent being emitted from her body. Emerald green eyes flashed to black. Kanji rose from her fingertips and snaked up her arms like serpents, effectively tattooing her limbs with deep red symbols. The air grew heavy, thick and dense, making it difficult for the manager to breathe. He backed up against the wall, cowering, barely managing to stay upright. Sakura was apathetic to his current state, swallowed by power; an experience completely novel to her.

"Where is he?" Sakura ground the question out, her voice as deep and as hollow as her eyes, which were now focused upon the insignificant form of the manager before her. Her fingertips glowed white with chakra, focused into spheres of light upon each digit. She raised her hands up to direct at the man. He whimpered in fright. The light grew until sparks snapped and flickered.

"Tell me…where the Uchiha is damn it!" Sakura took a measured step forward. A breeze to the left side of her face alerted her of danger. Several pink hairs severed and drifted haphazardly to the ground. A kunai was now embedded deeply within the desk before her. Blood bubbled to the surface of her cheek and dribbled down to her chin. A sharp thin cut appeared stretching from her ear to her nose.

"So, you're the source of that chakra fluctuation." A deep masculine voice came from behind her.

Sakura's head whipped to the side, ebony eyes focusing upon the man who threw the kunai. Next to him stood his partner, a man seven foot tall with blue hued skin…Hoshigaki Kisame. Sakura drew forth her healing chakra and touched her cheekbone, the mark disappearing in under a second, leaving new skin in its place.

"Itachi Uchiha…" Saying his full name out loud seemed to awaken Sakura to the circumstances. 'How did I not sense them approach?' The realisation of he mistakes brought twinges of fear to the pit of her stomach. How long had they been there? Did they know that she was tracking them? All the questions and uncertainties made her head spin wildly. The aura of chakra surrounding her faded to a faint glimmer before fizzling out. The marks covering her skin retreated back to her fingers. Blinking, her lifeless pupils returned to the jade they once were. Sakura knew she was in trouble, it was inevitable.

She acted immediately. Casting a gen-jutsu upon the two Akatsuki, she escaped from the confines of the inn. Sakura knew that wouldn't hold them for long, especially with Itachi being a master of gen-jutsu himself, but she needed all the time she could to escape from the village. Innocents did not need to suffer the consequences of this fight. Looking over her shoulder constantly while leaping over rooftops, she spoke into her transmitter:

"Kakashi, Naruto, come in! We have an emergency!" Sakura hid her chakra signature. Naruto's gravely voice could be heard distinctly from the other end.

"Sakura-Chan, you've found them?"

"You could say that, but it would also be correct to say that they've found me. I'm trying to draw them away from the buildings, but I can't hold out on my own." A few hand-signs later, and a summoned shadow clone began to sprint off in a direction 30 degrees West to where she was headed. She hoped with all her might that the shadow clone might force the duo to split up. "Team up with Kakashi and follow my tra-…"

Static drowned out the last of her sentence. Sakura veered off course when a kick placed to the side of her ribs sent her hurling towards a tree. Even though Sakura blocked the main brunt of the strike, she was thrown off of her feet. Swivelling her body, she managed to land with the balls of her feet forced against the bark, crouched into position. Her attacker stood below her, cloak rippling from the draught. She could tell that Itachi's eyes were focused on hers, prepared to release a doe-jutsu on her if she returned his gaze. Sakura was not so naïve as to fall for that trick. She concentrated the range of her vision from his neck downwards. From the tension in his muscles, she could predict his movements even before he decided himself.

Sakura thanked whichever god that was listening, Kisame was obviously sent off in the direction of her clone. It bought her time.

She delved into her pack and launched eight shuriken at his form, while pushing off from the tree towards Itachi. He dodged the stars with agility, making it appear seemingly trivial. Flipping to face in the other direction, Sakura aimed a kick towards his torso. He stooped low to the ground. Sakura could feel the presence of his back millimetres from her sole.

She skidded along the ground, hands spread and drifting along the surface to support her weight. She inhaled deeply and struck a fighting position. Her radio now lay useless on the ground, yards away from where she was standing. Naruto's dulcet tone could be heard faintly from the earpiece, calling her name profusely.

Itachi raced towards Sakura, razor sharp kunai bared in each hand. Sakura tensed her leg muscles, prepared to evade his attacks. Suddenly his form vanished before her trained eyes.

'Fast!'

She twisted her torso 90 degrees clockwise, knee swung to the side with brutal force. Sakura flooded her left limb with chakra, keeping all energy portholes open to prepare for a brutal kick at the space behind her. Her educated guess at where he was, deemed to be correct as she sensed his presence split seconds before the roof of her foot contacted Itachi's open palm. If by chance her kick had come to full effect, Itachi would currently be sporting many ruptured organs and with every possibility, be fighting for his life. Sakura smirked with smugness as she distinguished the recognisable crunch of fractured bones. Itachi may have evaded certain death when he blocked her hit, but his hand was now damaged beyond repair. He gave a grunt in response, a sure sign that he was in unbelievable pain. She widened her smirk; the playing fields were levelling out. Using the grip on her leg as leverage, she shifted her weight to her hands and attempted to ram the sole of her foot into his unguarded stomach. With lightning reflexes, Itachi seized her other foot by the ankle. His pain resistance to rival Naruto's, he tightened the clutch on her legs and swung her around at an unbelievable speed. Sakura was released until she collided with the trunk of an oak tree. Vibrations reverberated through the clearing at the contact.

Blood. Crimson liquid seeped copiously from her abdomen. Looking down weakly, a jagged branch could be seen jutting from her stomach. Impaled with the wood Sakura grimaced as she eased herself off. The impact against the tree granted her an agonising wound which ran straight through her body. Her breathing now came in laboured gasps, the loss of blood already affecting her concentration. Hand glowing green, she healed the wound slightly. The bleeding stopped abruptly and new tissue gave the hole a 'week old' appearance. Sakura couldn't risk healing it completely; her chakra was already depleted significantly from the days' activities and any energy needed to be conserved for the impending fight. She tested the tenderness of her wound as she moved. It smarted like hell, but it was most definitely bearable.

Her eyes flicked back to the battle scene. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw that Itachi was nowhere to be seen. She jumped down from the tree with unease. His presence was hidden well, a disconcerting position for the young kunoichi. Both participants were now injured enough to hinder their fighting abilities. She heightened her senses to pinpoint accuracy. Her head twitched in all direction to discern where he was in the clearing.

'Left?' Dark trees towered over her petite figure, their foliage rustling in the wind.

'Right?' Brambles swarmed the path, the road ahead swallowed by the darkness.

'Above?' The moon hung high in the sky, encompassed by the previous rain clouds.

Once again, the corners of her mouth curved. Her hand flexed as blue chakra surrounded it.

"BELOW!" Sakura bellowed, bringing her chakra infused punch to the ground. Chunks of compressed earth protruded upwards as the ground in front of her segmented. Clouds of dust mushroomed out when the surface cracked and Itachi shot out from his crevice. Kunai in hand, he charged at her. Sakura back flipped to avoid his attack. Itachi however, accounted for this retreat and launched the kunai at her. The blade skimmed her ANBU outfit, slicing upwards. A fine scratch was left on her skin. She glared venomously towards Itachi, not once meeting his eyes.

She gave a rough chuckle, even though the situation was far from funny. Her erratic breathing from before had clamed down to a minor discomfort.

Her eyes narrowed with resolve. "Well, I guess it can't be helped…" Sakura sighed in a whisper that was almost lost with the wind. "I'll have to use it."

Outstretched fingers reached up. They curled tightly around the handle of her katana. The hiss of metal cut through the silence of the night. Sakura drew the sword over her shoulder. Inch by inch, polished metal was uncovered from its sheath. The moonlight was reflected along the edge, tracing the tip as it glinted menacingly. She stretched her arm fully above her head, katana now an extension of her body as she gracefully swung the blade a cross her body in an arc towards her unsuspecting target…

* * *

Whew! Finished it finally! Sorry guys I couldn't upload this on Saturday, my job leaves me feeling zonked :S. Ahhh well it's here now. I hope this chapter is to your liking. I know the last one was slightly OTT on the thoughts, but they are necessary for future references to the story.

I had so much fun writing this chapter- writing a fight scene gets me so excited (not that I'm addicted to the mention of blood or anything). The next chapter is also gonna have some kick ass action. I actually started writing the third halfway through the second because I couldn't wait lol!

Thank you so much to everybody who has read and reviewed my chapters. This includes: animemistress209, ichigo14, Neji's RaDazzle, JUCHKO, DudettRin101, GaaraXxXHinata69, TeenageCrisis and xXFallenSakuraXx. Not to mention the people who have favourited and alerted hindrance!

Please comment on this chapter! Not only will you get your name up here, but the encouragement makes me write more chapters pronto hehe but please no flames; they'll be beaten with a pointy stick! Oh and if you have any queries on things you don't get….ask, and I'll explain the best I can (unless they're gonna be explained in future chapters lol)

ZOMG! I JUST SAW PETE DOHERTY AND A WOMAN WALK PAST MY WINDOW! WOW that's amazing and no I'm not kidding! That's the good thing about living in the country, the celebs swarm there, hehe. I saw Zoë Wannamaker in the pub not long ago too. God its weird being star struck lol. Sorry for the ramble!

Please Review!

Xxx bex xxX


	4. The Power of a Cherry Blossom

**Disclaimer:**

Me: "of course I own Naruto"

Readers: "Really?"

Me: "…mumble no, no not really mumble…"

**Hindrance:**** Chapter 2 – The Power of a Cherry Blossom**

_Outstretched fingers reached up. They curled tightly around the handle of her katana. The hiss of metal cut through the silence of the night. Sakura drew the sword over her shoulder. Inch by inch, polished metal was uncovered from its sheath. The moonlight was reflected along the edge, tracing the tip as it glinted menacingly. She stretched her arm fully above her head, katana now an extension of her body as she gracefully swung the blade a cross her body in an arc towards her unsuspecting target… _

A clash of swords reverberated throughout the clearing. An owl hooted in alarm, taking off in flight. Sakura stood her ground with determination. The razor-blade edge of her katana fought for dominance. A heavily bandaged sword hovered inches from the tender skin of her neck. Kisame narrowed his beady eyes, mockery evident as he glared at Sakura.

"Well blocked kunoichi. I was almost certain you hadn't sensed me approach."

Sakura returned his jovial glance over her shoulder. The muscles in her arms shook with the strain as she pushed his sword back towards him. "That's the difference between you and me. I don't assume these things; rather I know them in the first place. But I wouldn't expect a walking fish-stick such as yourself to comprehend the meaning of common sense." With this comment, the sickly smirk was wiped from his face. Kisame replaced it with an ugly scowl, snorting in irritancy. "You should refrain from underestimating your opponent…Especially me!"

Kisame was flung backwards when Sakura kicked him in the stomach. No extra energy was used to enhance the hit, but her monster strength alone was sufficient enough to make him spit blood from his mouth. His free hand wiped the corner of his lips. His mutinous eyes darted to the scene before him. Itachi lunged at the woman once again, noting that her concentration was centred elsewhere. His arm hung limp at his side. Still looking at Kisame, Sakura's hands rose to her chest. She began to form hand seals. Within seconds, the speed at which they were performed had risen to near sound-wave frequency.

'Bird, Snake, Monkey, Tiger, Dog…' Not a glance was spared at the seals her fingers were so apt at making.

"Blooming Ice Blossom Jutsu" Sakura whispered in a low tone.

Itachi stared with curiosity at Sakura while he ran towards her. The edges of her form had begun to shimmer in the moonlight. Focusing his sharingan clearly, ribbons of ice could be seen to rotate around Sakura at a high velocity. The mass of the shards increased. As Sakura raised her katana to circle her head, the ice seemed to congregate in spirals along the length of the blade. She lowered her sword to direct at Itachi and Kisame. Ice ribbons were launched at the pair with terrifying speed. Torrents of ice rushed them like a raging river. The two men attempted to dodge the attack to no avail. Every twist and turn was followed, cutting their movements. Kisame choked out his surprise when the chakra hardened weapons sliced the surface of his sword. Nothing could block their path.

Both men were soon latticed with shallow cuts. Their cloaks were ripped, the edges stained heavily with blood. Itachi glimpsed at Sakura. Her eyes were closed; expression almost peaceful. Petals of ice continued to flock her. When they passed her hair, a delicate pink glow encased them, making them look like cherry blossoms. He smirked at the irony; the girl truly had the heritage of a Sakura tree.

Itachi's smirk faded to a grim line. He'd had enough. The tomoe in his eye began to spin. His eyes darkened to a new level of doe-jutsu. Itachi focused on the path of ice rushing towards him. Eyelids widening briefly, the blossoms vanished from his sight, barely centimetres from his nose.

Sakura snapped her eyes open and tensed in alarm. The reassuring presence of her chakra had depleted considerably. Kisame slung his sword over his shoulder, mumbling over the intensity of his wounds. Itachi however, remained silent, his poise rigid from arrogance. She glowered at him with defiance. He may have dispelled her jutsu, but Sakura was far from beaten.

'I'll give those bastards what's coming to them, just you wait.' Inner Sakura was fuming. Her pride was shattered; no shinobi had beaten that technique before.

Beads of sweat lined her forehead. This fight needed to be ended quickly. Sakura was tiring; the ice-jutsu took its toll on her body. Her lungs were heaving and she relied on the hilt of her sword to stand upright.

Needing a boost, she took a food pill from her pack. The taste was bitter as she chewed the small pellet into powder. She tightened the clench on her Katana. The smooth handle felt cool against her palm. Sakura walked towards her opponents, falling progressively into a sprint. The katana blazed electric blue with chakra, augmenting its power to the maximum. She lunged towards Kisame and Itachi, lashing out with disturbing ferocity.

The speed, at which the fight occurred, increased with every second that passed. The three ninjas looked no more than blurs streaking the night sky. Moonlight caressed their muscular limbs as they fell into sequence. Punch. Block. Parry. Dodge. Sakura moved with precision, no flip being executed without beauty and grace. Long hours of torturous training with her comrades developed a fighting style which harboured many original techniques. When watched from a distance, it was effectively an art which swathed her entire body.

Sakura cart wheeled to avoid a thrust from Kisame's sword. While upside down, she caught a shuriken between her soles as she folded her knees. She flung the star to splinter the wood on a neighbouring tree, flipping backwards to dodge a kunai which swiped dangerously close to her navel. Oh yes, Sakura, by all appearances was at one with the dance. A lethal dance at that.

Kisame looked upon the fight with amusement. The kunoichi was entertaining. He for once could count on one hand the number of enemies who had lasted this long in combat with him. Yet, this girl, who almost looked out of place amongst the world of shinobi, was not only defending both of their attacks, but managing to injure them as well. Kisame duly noted the bloody trench in his flesh, covering the breadth of his chest.

'I may be cornered into fighting full out if this pace keeps up.' Kisame grinned with menace. 'It seems that I may have some fun tonight after all.'

While the shark man felt mirth at the situation, Itachi's eyes widened in appreciation. His sharingan captivated every detail. He couldn't help but to notice the splendour that was radiating from Sakura. As she moved, long, rose strands of her hair dutifully obeyed every twist and turn, shimmering as it encompassed her form. Her exposed skin glowed from perspiration, droplets running down the curve of her neck.

Kisame's shark skin sword shredded the muscle on her bicep. Scarlet blood gushed out. She didn't even flinch. Sakura didn't even seem to be aware that she was injured. Her emerald eyes, which had glazed over, being submerged in concentration, were heavily lidded. Even the evident pain could not distract her.

'She's a true shinobi…She too doesn't let her weaknesses affect her.' Itachi allowed his pale lips to form a whisper of a smile. The kunoichi and he were more similar than people would expect.

Her Katana was held in an iron-vice grip, her form rigid with the constant tension, but the movements that accompanied it flowed into each other seamlessly.

Sakura stood between the two men, fending off attacks from either side. Kunai and sword crossed within her path. The scissor move threatened to butcher her head. She curved backwards, chin tilting upwards. Adrenaline fuelled her system as she watched the weapons grating against one another. Her senses acted in overdrive, absorbing her surroundings: the bitter stench of sweat, the ashen glow from the moon, the trace of metallic blood in the pool of her mouth, the weighty intent to kill. Sakura tensed her arms when touching the ground, biting through the stabbing pain, pushing downwards to flip into the air. She drew her knees inwards, increasing the momentum as she spun. Kisame and Itachi watched her rise. She unfolded as soon as the balls of her feet stroked the surface of Kisame's sword.

Senbon needles rained down upon Itachi. His kunai flashed through the air, deflecting the needles before contact. He inhaled sharply. A senbon, lurking in the shadow of another was overlooked, taking him by surprise. The subtle skin in the hollow on his throat was pierced. His breath rattled with the strain. His trachea had been punctured; it would now prove difficult to exert his movements.

Kisame shifted his sword. Sakura lost her balance on it and plummeted towards the ground. She blocked an oncoming swing with her arm guards. Shark-skin repeatedly oscillated with force against her. The metal guards were grated under the daunting impact, causing a small portion of her skin to be minced.

Relaxing her muscles, Sakura flooded chakra through her katana. She focused, moulding the output of energy throughout to make the blade look serrated.

With a renewed burst of resolve, Sakura forced Kisame's sword backwards with a rugged growl. She pulled out lengths of wire from her pack. It was looped tightly around his blade, and secured to the floor, knotted with a kunai. Kisame tugged desperately to release it. Sakura swung her katana sideways. A shallow cut appeared on his stomach. The graze would have travelled deeper, had it not been for Itachi yanking her by the collar in the opposite direction.

Her fingers grazed the coarse material of his cloak as she scrabbled to clutch it for stability. Something pricked her sternum through her ninja attire. Sakura's lips formed a loose 'o'. She twisted her torso, arms corkscrewed inwards. Sakura hacked as raw pain racked her left side. Blood dribbled down over the contours of her hip, soaking the hem of her slacks. The kunai that was aimed through her centre was deflected to the left. A gash appeared, scraping the bone of her pelvis.

Confusion flashed across Sakura's face. 'What's wrong with them? Even if I hadn't averted that last attack, the resulting blow would not have been enough to kill me. Neither would the others. The most damage they would cause would be to render me immobile for a while. What's their game? I see their intent to kill me, but something is holding them back from doing so.' Her brow creased together. Could she use this to her advantage? Or was she over-evaluating the situation?

Subconsciously, the wound on Sakura's hip started to heal. Cells began to knit together, clotting the blood. Many years of practicing medic nin-jutsu made healing a second nature to her, even to the point where her body fixed itself of its own accord.

Itachi and Kisame advanced on Sakura once again. She poised herself, prepared for the next move. All three heads cricked to focus on the forest to the left of their position. Two chakra profiles were headed towards the clearing. The larger of the two was obviously mutinous; its anger segregating the energy source to almost another form. Sakura breathed a sigh of relief. The odds were reversed now at three against two.

Orange obscured her vision for a second. Naruto had blocked Kisame from Sakura's view, attempting to land punches wherever there was an opening. Kakashi joined Naruto in his attack. Kunai and shuriken crossed the clearing, clattering to the ground when they were repelled. It was obvious that Naruto had resorted to using the Kyuubi's chakra supply. A vermillion coat surrounded him as though he were alight. His battle cries sounded octaves lower than usual, portraying pure hatred.

Sakura turned back to the elder Uchiha. They were both perched low to the ground, daring the other to make a move. Never wavering in focus, she bounced the support of her katana around within the confines of her palm. Itachi's point of view was pinpointed towards her hand. She swiped her glowing blade to point at herself, her right arm bent to grip the left elbow. Itachi's features constricted with awareness. She wouldn't commit suicide at this stage of the fight, she was smarter then that. No, he was positive this was in preparation for another jutsu, though the nature of it confused him. This wasn't gen-jutsu, the chakra pattern was different. It swirled in unpredictable shapes, flowing up the length of her arm to drip down her sword.

Itachi stared at her face. Her eyes were wide with anticipation, emerald pupils basking in the blue tint of her chakra. The glow was intensifying as she brought her sword down to her chest. Itachi didn't know what to expect; this was a new form of jutsu. Sakura's blade sunk into her abs, yet no trace of pain crossed her eyes. Her arms dropped to her sides, but the katana continued to be drawn inwards. The puncture hole glowed a frosty blue, until the sword was completely swallowed. Itachi's sharingan didn't see any mortal wound to be visible, nor did her weapon come out of her back, as he might have expected.

Chakra pooled to her lungs, Itachi followed its journey to her mouth. Sakura breathed out deeply.

The air which she exhaled was infested with miniscule balls of silver. His eyes saw the energy within each one, the resulting effect to be breath-taking. Small dew drops seemed to cover the expanse of the clearing. They hovered in the air, bobbing gently. Their appearance changed. The spheres lengthened. Chakra senbon were now surrounding him, pointing accusatively at Itachi. Sakura nodded her head gently. As if on cue, the senbon flew towards him, all aimed for vital organs. Itachi raised his right arm and pointed a lone finger at Sakura seconds before the senbon stuck. He leaped sideways.

The senbon thudded into his flesh. Sakura glanced at him with distaste. Blood dribbled to the grass. She chuckled darkly. Spikes jutted out from his skin at various intervals. The famous Uchiha now looked like a human pincushion. Itachi coughed up blood weakly before his knees gave way. His cloak pooled around him artistically as he collapsed fully to the ground.

'Not the most dignified way to die…but at least he got one hell of a show beforehand.' Sakura shrugged her shoulders. She gradually encouraged her katana out of her chest. She winced. She hadn't attempted that jutsu in battle before, nor had she predicted the after effects. Her chakra level had depleted to an all time low.

'I only have energy spare for healing casualties…thank god that the Uchiha was originally low on energy, otherwise I may not have beaten him.' Sakura popped her back, massaging her sore muscles.

'**We kicked Uchiha ass so badly! You can't deny it, that jutsu owns all others!' **Inner Sakura rambled on, her victory speech making Sakura's lips twitch into a contented smile. She stumbled to a tree, leaning her weight against it before she looked upon the other fight in the clearing.

* * *

Kisame was breathing heavily, sweat running down his jaw. He limped slightly when he moved; he was seriously injured. Kakashi had lifted his hitiate to lie level on his brow. His other eye was now visible above his mask. The three tomoe flashed from side to side, observing Kisame's swings with his sword.

Naruto stood a few yards away from his target, scarlet eyes looking murderous, fangs protruding from the rim of his mouth. He summoned two shadow clones. They both faced him while the original, eyed the fight closely. He held his palm facing upwards at waist height while another clone copied his action with an opposite hand. Chakra swirled tightly into a ball as the other clone concentrated its shape. Its size grew drastically, whipping wind around them, rustling Naruto's blonde locks. Clawed fingers flexed. The clone disappeared. The two bodies began to run full tilt towards Kisame, who was facing away from him. Kisame chuckled lowly, chilling Kakashi as he swung a kunai around, expecting the sword to block it.

Sakura padded gingerly away from the fight, sword in hand to deter any stray kunai. Naruto was going to use his most feared technique: The odama rasengan. This was the jutsu that had destroyed many enemy lives, just by being in the immediate vicinity. Sakura may be a medic, but she didn't want to take the chance. She noticed that Kakashi had moved away also, flinging a kunai at Kisame in the process.

The compressed mud beneath her suddenly began to tremble. She looked over the floor of the clearing…where was the body? Her outward cry was swallowed as Itachi Uchiha burst forth from the ground, not a senbon in sight on his form. He managed to slice her arm with a kunai, before she blocked the follow-through with her katana. Glancing over the plane, the dud, pointed senbon lay scattered, embedded in the ground at the point Itachi once stood. A rugged hole in the floor demonstrated where Itachi had retreated to avoid the attack.

Sakura mentally burst in outrage at herself. 'He used a gen-jutsu upon me! I didn't notice him as I was too wrapped up with concentrating on my technique. He must have used his finger to deploy an illusion showing his corpse while he hid, waiting for me to relax. Why didn't I realise? Why am I so weak?'

A Grunt of pain sounded from the other battle. Naruto stared, wide-eyed at the giant sword in front of him. He hunched over the tip as it battered his stomach. The rasengan minimized as his power was sucked dry by Shark skin. The red hue in his eyes faded, returning to cerulean blue. The other clone vanished in a puff of smoke, there being no energy to sustain it. Naruto buckled, edging over the sword to land on the ground. He was losing consciousness, and fast.

Sakura screamed him name in desperation, anger seeping throughout her. The long, drawn shout pulled everybody's attention to the injured Naruto.

Kisame was bent over, hands on knees, making it easier to breathe. A kunai could be seen deep in his chest, the handle poking out. He would rather have been injured by a kunai, than killed brutally by the rasengan; there was no way he would have been able to block both in his current condition. The chirping of birds drilled through her ears, the shrill sound accompanied by threads of light. Hatake charged up his raikiri to full power. He lunged at Kisame, teeth bared. Lightning sparked. His hand clenched; driving through the expanse of flesh at Kisame's heart. The needles of light dimmed as he pulled out. Kisame fell to the ground, truly dead.

Her katana was pushed a few centimetres towards her by Itachi.

"I advise you, kunoichi, to pay attention to me, rather than the kyuubi if you want a slim chance of surviving."

Sakura turned her head towards Itachi, choking as his sandal imprinted on her torso. The force, of which the kick followed through with, lifted her easily off her feet. She groaned in agony as her back came into contact with a large tree trunk. A crunch alerted her as a medic that several of her ribs had been snapped at the collision. Twigs littered the floor as she too fell down, clutching her side.

Strands of long hair cascaded over the bridge of her nose. Through the gap, Naruto could also be seen on the ground, lids closed. Kakashi was kneeling at his side, checking his vital signs. The body lay close by, his cloak smothered in blood.

Itachi walked silently closer to Sakura.

"A dog, a fox, and a kitten. Hn. It appears that they have sent a group of farm animals to track me.'

Barely a metre away from Sakura, he crouched down, elbows rested on his thighs, fingering a kunai. The razor sharp edge of the blade traced the surface of her arm, stopping at her wrist. Intricate patterns marred the skin with small scratches. Itachi increased the pressure at the joint, sliding the tip through her flesh. Sakura gasped at the slow torture. Blood oozed out of the wound.

"You're a Konoha ANBU? Personally I'm disappointed. The level of skill has decreased since I left that sorry village." His eyes flicked to a badge on her sweater. "Captain? Even more so then…"

Sakura arranged her expression into a pained scowl. She spat the blood in her mouth at his face. It trickled down his cheekbone. He wiped the excess from his jaw with his free hand. The other hand forced the kunai deeper into her wrist, pinning it to the ground. Sakura restrained herself from making any noise by biting her lip. Itachi noticed this.

Itachi smeared her blood from his hand back on her own face. Letting go of the kunai, he bent his head low. Strands of hair that were framing his face, tickled her nose. His warm breath filled her ear as he murmured in a low voice.

"You're pathetic, kunoichi. Weak. Even at the brink of death, you aren't even able to save yourself, let alone your friends."

Sakura was grinding her teeth together. Her anger, which was previously bubbling below the surface, returned with ferocity. She pulled her hand upwards, the kunai inching through the hole in her hand until it was free. Itachi backed up when he felt her chakra level. Seconds ago, there was only enough energy to maintain bodily functions. Now, however, it ebbed with determination, fury flaring outwards.

Her hand started to heal itself at an astronomical pace, chakra sewing the opening to a scar. Itachi looked at her bones. It was as if time were being reversed. The two ribs sealed themselves with a clean join. Even the gap in her navel began to knit itself to a close. She lifted her torso from the ground with subtle movements. Her head was tilted down, hair curtaining her face, but Itachi didn't need to see her expression to know what she was feeling. Her aura of destruction was strong, stronger than his.

"**Don't you dare talk to me like that you bastard. You haven't the right to call me weak!"** Sakura's voice ground out like cut diamond. Her words were sharp, slicing his resolve, even if only for a second.

'Where did this outburst come from? And what is the source of her power?' His chin jutted out in thought.

Itachi walked backwards several steps as she stood up straight. Her hair parted as she raised her chin. Sakura stared at his neck, the senbon still lodged in place. Though she would not look directly into his eyes, for fear of the tsukoyomi, Itachi had no qualms about hers…That was until he saw them clearly. In that instant, he swore pure death stared him straight into the face. Her irises were no longer jade, but black. They were hollow, such empty holes. Itachi felt as though she was bleeding into his heart, ripping apart his confidence as a shinobi. The entire world seemed a darker place and salvation was hopeless.

"So _this_ is the weapon leader was talking about."

For once in his life, Itachi was scared.

* * *

Wehey! Another chapter finished!

Since it was 11:30 last Sunday that I finished this, I didn't upload it. But I hope that you like it now  I had so much fun writing this chapter so I also hope you'll have fun reading it! Zomg….itachi, scared? Quick get your cameras out, this is a historic moment. Soooooo who will win the battle and what will Sakura do?

I hoped people noticed the subtle sexual tension I slipped in there ku ku ku

Thank you to everybody who reviewed the last chapter, I love all of you guys including: aznkitty180, pinkcherryblossom225, JUCHKO, xXFallenSakuraXx, xXxTsukuyomixXx and Ichigo14, although I'm a little confused about Ichigo101 lol

Oh and not to forget all the guys who have favorited and alerted :D aritgato!

**Please review this chapter, then you can get your name up here!** Pretty comments and criticisms are allowed, but no flames please, or I'll spook you when I'm dead  hehe

See you people luv bexxx


	5. Tsukuyomi

**Disclaimer: Insert witty comment here proclaiming that I don't own Naruto, never will sob and like Nutella with my Oreos **

**Hindrance:**** Chapter 4 – Tsukoyomi**

"_So_ this_ is the weapon leader was talking about." _

_For once in his life, Itachi was scared._

Silence beckoned. Sakura felt as though she was being drawn into her sub consciousness. Her mental barriers were closing in and she had the distinct sensation of being cornered. Her vision clouded before darkening at the edges. Sakura could only act the spectator as her chakra rose beyond all recognition. Modules of power burst forth to the surface and her skin glowed luminescent, casting a frosty blue halo upon the jagged terrain. Enamel that layered Sakura's chipped nails stained a deep red. Kanji progressed to ink up the subtle skin on her forearm in a language that was unknown. The band of energy concentrated further and her rosette hair whipped aside from her angular features.

It became increasingly difficult for those who were conscious to breathe. Pulses of energy radiated from her petite figure. Every undulation that occurred sucked the life from the surrounding air. Leaves that were once plump with vitality, withered and turned brittle. The moon dimmed and the atmosphere became densely thick. It was as though they were trapped in a paper lantern. The atmosphere turned humid, and everything seemed slightly muffled.

Breathing heavily, Kakashi inclined his head away from Naruto, horror dawning upon him. His eyes shook within their sockets. A scream was hardly choked back as he looked at what Sakura had become.

'Tsunade warned me about this, but I…I can't comprehend…is that really Sakura?'

* * *

_Flashes of a memory crossed his Inner eye. He recalled the comforting musty smell from the browning documents which lined the walls. They were dismissed abruptly from the Hokage's office. None of his comrades conferred when leaving the room. Kakashi's eye was level with Naruto's blonde locks. He concentrated on the choppy texture, following the lead. His brow furrowed deeply, mind vacant of any thoughts. _

"_Kakashi, a word in private if you please." Tsunade's stern voice rung crisp around the walls, a change from slurred normalities._

_Hands pocketed, he tapped the toe of his sandal several times before ambling back to his previous position. Tsunade was perched on the edge of her seat, torso hunched over her interlinked fingers. Her sharp eyes were hazed, gaze focused on a non distinct point past his shoulder. _

_Clearly, the Hokage was struggling to administer the expression of her thoughts. She swallowed in hesitation. "It's about Sakura." The pads of her fingers joined at an apex. "I want you to protect her."_

_It was a request that was certainly understandable. Tsunade had always looked upon Sakura with parental feelings. The bond they shared only increased when Sakura's clan was wiped out brutally, shortly after her 16th birthday. Both females leaned on each other for support, sharing each other's strength when it was needed. Simply just basking in the presence of the other improved their familiarity tenfold. Tsunade was the closest thing to a guardian Sakura could have. _

_But a shinobi's duty and personal life should remain separate. This was an example of that._

"_With all due respect Tsunade-sama, I don't feel it my place to do that. As her Master, you should know more than anyone that she is more than worthy of her ANBU rank. Sakura has surely progressed from the need of being molly-coddled." Kakashi's lazy manner tilted to one that of confusion. Tsunade must have been aware that Sakura refused any assistance, no matter what the situation. _

"_You misunderstand my point Hatake." Signs of impatience were starting to show, and her lips pursed with determined calm. "I perfectly understand her inferiority complex, the last thing I would want to do is encourage that. No, what I mean to say is that I want you to protect Sakura…from herself…"

* * *

_

The empty feeling pooling in his stomach amplified.

'It can't be- no…The rumours, what Hokage-sama told me, they can't be true…This is_ Sakura_ we're talking about.' Bile rose to the pit of his mouth. "Sakura." The whisper rolled off his tongue, hushed from both awe and disbelief. 'She wouldn't have done something like that…would she?'

* * *

Itachi's expression remained stoic, shielding his shock while he observed the events before him. Sections of hair that were free from the knot at the nape of his neck, thrashed wildly from the gusts of wind. His hand tightened around a kunai in preparation, palm sweaty from the excessive grip. The fingers on his other hand popped open the fastening on the remains of his Akatsuki cloak. It would only be a bother in this situation. A delicate necklace was revealed beneath his collar. Sakura glared at it with unrefined hatred. Her teeth gleamed as her jaw set into a menacing growl. 

"**You had better pray that god's on your side tonight Uchiha; there's no way in hell you'll see any mercy from me" **Threats were spat out consecutively. The power she was displaying was already constricting Itachi's ability to move, yet it still grew at a drastic pace.

"Nor do I desire any. Mercy is for the weak. The fact that you would offer mercy otherwise shows how soft you are. It's disgusting." Itachi spoke in his constant monotonic voice, satisfied that it did not hitch after hearing Sakura's rough tone.

"**You are such an arrogant bastard. I hope you choke on your words when you swallow them." **

Fury bubbled profusely until pain tore at her sides. A trail of blood escaped the corner of her lips from the intensity of the pressure. Sakura clapped her palms together, arms horizontal. Blinding light pushed her hands outwards, forming a tight sphere of chakra. Her foot circled to the side, the boots imprinting lazy patterns in the dust. Sakura spat out the blood in her mouth, so it discoloured the gravel where he stood.

Her hollow eyes reflected the ashen glow from her chakra, as though fireflies were hovering below the surface. If anything, this frightened Kakashi more than all the horrors he had ever encountered. Those pinpricks of light brought glimmers of life to her deceased irises. It made the monster that Sakura had transformed into become more…human. More terrifying. More Brutal. The fact that this _bramble _was only a fraction away from being a cherry blossom, _their_ Sakura, was a terror without measure.

Sakura uncurled her arms outwards, chakra in hand, directing her aim towards Itachi. Her right elbow was drawn backwards, dragging a band of neon from fingertip to ear.

"Crap!" An exclamation of realisation was hissed under Itachi's breath, before he flashed out of range. Beams of light were shot to angle at his heart. Sakura's trained eyes followed his form, set on firing another chakra arrow to his apparent destination. Melodic whistling from the wind disguised the sound of his landing a second later. Even with the sharingan, Itachi's body could not master the agility to dodge it entirely. His teeth gritted in agony as the shot massacred his shoulder, ends spearing out from either side of his torso. It was tugged free with undeniable force.

Sakura could smell the crude stench of charred flesh. It was obviously searing his skin to touch the chakra, but he persevered, launching the arrow to return to its creator. Automatically, her digits weaved elaborate symbols in the air. The kanji coating her forearms glowed with endeavour before worming along her blemished skin. Energy spilled forth, projecting a shield of protection from the oncoming attack. On impact, the chakra arrow shrivelled, dispersing the energy into countless powdered shards.

Angry blisters covered the edges of Itachi's wound, smouldering red from inflammation. He stooped, clutching his collarbone with his remaining limber fist.

He blinked.

Stood less than a yard away was Sakura, her bangs crossed the bridge of her nose. A drawn arrow aligned with the centre of Itachi's forehead. His resigned gaze followed upwards. Partially healed cuts dotted the subtle curves of her lean muscles. Her unmarred neck shuddered from the intensity of her breathing. Full lips were parted, showing bared teeth and her frown lines were pronounced in fury.

Itachi remained rooted to the spot. It was an innovative situation in which his life had been threatened so. The urge to observe what happened next plagued his desires. 'Who would have thought it? This pathetic kunoichi almost tempts me to embrace my own death.'

At this self-reflection, he smirked. Sakura resisted the need to rip the amusement from his arrogant facade.

"**Don't worry Uchiha, I'll make sure to send your sadistic brother along with you soon enough." **The beam of chakra was elongated for emphasis. Although it took little effort, the effect was drastic. Sweat now lined the expanse of Itachi's hairline. **"You'll be reunited again."** Sakura's smooth words caressed him dangerously. The tug of the arrow was loosened. Give from the tension was evident.

"Sa…Sakura-Chan!"

The medic-nin's head snapped sharply to the right. The growl resonating in her throat was pronounced by predation.

Naruto crumbled under her glare. Even the energy to be positive couldn't be summoned. His best friend was currently lost to the darkness, and he was clueless on what to do. The temptation to wince was overwhelming. He felt like he had succeeded in reaching the final stair, only to plunge downwards from overestimating the number of steps. Bile tasted sour on his tongue. But, then again, his thoughts also left a bad taste in the mouth.

"What is this Sakura?" He gave a wheezy chuckle. "Stop playing tricks with my mind here. You're freaking me out more than a little!" Naruto heaved his torso from the ground with trembling arms. Sakura's eyes bore relentlessly into his. He felt like a spoon was gauging his heart out. Pain throbbed in his mind like a taut drum.

'She's so…cold. A part of me is being smothered the longer I see Sakura like this. She shouldn't be subjected to this torture; it's not deserved. I need to stop her from becoming such a heartless killer. I'm not going to lose another friend to power; having to mourn for another person would be the end of me.' "Sakura…?" His voice trailed off in something akin to agony.

Eyes that held such hysteria captured hers directly. Naruto's eyes were so pure, so deep, that Sakura lost the will to look away. Even as a ninja, he still had some innocence remaining. **'How could someone with such a troubled past still be as virtuous as he is?'**

The tension drained from her shoulders, dragging the chakra arrow with it. Kakashi breathed deeply as though starved of oxygen. As it happened, this was not far from the truth.

Naruto started to shake uncontrollably. Tears that flooded his eyes, trailed freely over his cheekbones to spool along the edge of his jaw. Grime on his skin from caked sweat was washed away by the salt. Overall, his appearance was pitiable, but he held Sakura's gaze with shameless fear. It was truly a heart-breaking scene to behold for the young kunoichi.

Though her aura still radiated murderous intent, the threatening glow faded, if only a little.

"Naruto…?!" Sakura took a tentative pace in Naruto's direction. (Even though on the verge of consciousness) he prepared to spend the dregs of his remaining strength to match her distance taken, in a desperate attempt to retreat. She faltered. Sea foam green bled warmth into the depths of her black eyes. "Naruto…remain focused on the mission. What's wrong? You were never one to be this spooked in battle."

A sudden pressure gripping Sakura's biceps distracted her from her friend's distress. The strength maintained by Itachi to anchor Sakura, rivalled that of Tsunade. With bruising force, his painted nails dug deep into the tender skin. Yet even more blood stained her mesh top in small rivulets. Crescent markings now littered her shoulders. A tight-lipped smile graced her face. Sakura turned her lidded eyes to a venomous Itachi.

"You should realise by now Uchiha, it takes two to do the tango. Eye techniques will fail to work unless you attain direct eye cont-…"

Feather-light touches brushed the corner of her mouth before his lips captured hers forcefully. Sakura had only a split second in which she was aware of what he was planning, but the action still shocked her to the core. Weathered lips massaged her own with skilled movements. It was so sensual yet demanding that Sakura strained to prevent herself from opening her eyes in surprise. Who would have thought that a murderer such as he, would possess the ability to be gentle?

These thoughts were immediately banished as panic set in. Chakra was drawn into concentration within her right first and Sakura drew her elbow back for the basis of a punch.

'**I don't fall prey to an Uchiha's seduction techniques so easily anymore.' **Inner Sakura mused maliciously.

Itachi's lithe tongue darted out to skim her bottom lip. The breath hitched in her throat, gasping in disbelief. This opportunity was seized by him to glide over the tips of her lower teeth. What surprised her was that the sensation was far from unpleasant. Sakura failed to suppress a shiver which travelled down the expanse of her back. Itachi recognised this sign of submission. The curve of his lips was recognised by Sakura as they pressed against her own mouth. 'That damn smirk!' Realisation sparked, clearing her fogged intelligence. 'No! What the hell am I doing?' Her eyes popped open indignantly.

Sakura was met by crimson eyes not centimetres from her jade ones. Without crossing her vision, the blurred commas tomoe could be seen as blurs circling his pupil. In all anxiety, Sakura persistently attempted to pull her gaze from the magnetic heave of Itachi's. This was a feeble attempt in vain. Her mind was already trapped within the clutches of his will. As her consciousness failed, she could only submit to the depths of his psyche. Both of their lashes swept against the other when her eyes fluttered to a resounding close.

* * *

Red. That was all she could see when they opened once again. Sakura rolled hesitantly onto her side. Suspicion beleaguered her thoughts. The injuries that not long past throbbed in pain, now no longer hurt. No, rather, her wounds had vanished from her form entirely. 'Did I heal myself? Or did someone else perform the medic nin-jutsu in my place?' She flexed her fingers. Coarse sand irritated the gaps between them. "Where am I-?" Her musings ceased when a piercing scream sounded close to her. It sounded so, pained, so raw. Sakura leaped off the ground. There, the source of the sound lay writhing on the ground. The pure urge to heave was tremendously strong. 

Naruto was sprawled haphazardly on the ground. At first glance, his skin seemed to be painted a deep crimson, but with further inspection, his own blood was drenching his skin. Cerulean eyes were stretched as wide as humanly possible with the immeasurable agony her was surely in.

"Naruto!" Sakura dashed frantically in his direction. Only, her body would not obey her will. Her feet were cemented in place by a force was undeniably in control. Heart pounding frantically, she stared at her friend who was now arched off the ground, his muscles tensed with the strain. "I must be in Itachi's domain. God damn it. It's only an illusion. Don't assume everything you see to be true. Most likely he's playing with your sanity. It's not re-…" The mantra repeated in her assurance, waned.

"Sasuke…?" Alarm bells clanged. There he stood, sneering at Naruto. He was older, Masculine features were more defined, but the classic Uchiha arrogance still remained plastered on his handsome face. Flecks of blood splattered his pale skin. Chirping echoed around them. Lightning blades sheathed his drawn katana. The flesh of Naruto's stomach enveloped the sword as it impaled him. Blood gurgled from the rim of his mouth. Sasuke observed, indifferent to his pain. The deafening chirp died. Naruto's breathing rasped, the palpitations of his heart weakening with every beat. His life was slipping away. Slowly. Torturously.

"Oh my god, Naruto! Don't you dare die on me!" Dry sobbing wracked her speech. 'It's only an illusion'. Sakura chest tightened. "Naruto…don't, leave me…" She swallowed against the constriction in her throat. 'It's only an illusion!' Her eyes burned. "Why does it hurt so much if I know it's not real?" She pulled hysterically against the bonds that held her in place.

"Because what the mind sees, is always presumed to be real. Pain is as such, whether real or forged." Itachi's deep voice whispered lowly from behind. It held a tone of amusement, seeing the headstrong kunoichi mentally shattering by his hand.

"No!" Sakura clenched her teeth together, grinding with stubbornness. "I will not let you break me. I trained to be stronger than this. My efforts will NOT go to waste. Death will be welcomed before I give up, chiefly to an egotistical Uchiha."

"**Are you positive about that, Sakura?" **Sasuke padded at ease towards her. **"From what I recall, six years ago, you fell at my feet oh too easily. Sakura, you shouldn't make promises that you can't maintain; it's annoying." **She narrowed her obstinate gaze, her silence speaking for her.

He raised his katana, ready to knife her. No resistance was encountered. The tip closed the distance to her sternum, the metal reflecting the red hue of the sand.

The razor point never reached her.

* * *

Sakura's eyes snapped from the illusion and her fingers uncurled from a tight fist. Liquid was absorbed into the saturated material of her sweater. Itachi slumped, his weight depending on Sakura's strength. Adamant coughing vibrated over her shoulder. As she flexed the muscles in her arm, a faint beat undulated on her wrist. The methodical swell of his heart deteriorated with every second. 

Sakura had punched completely through the wall of flesh before her. Itachi's vision blurred before his eyes closed in a graceful surrender. She hissed in disgust, allowing his limp body to slide from her outstretched limb. A dull thump signified his fall onto the mossy ground. His cloak draped over his entangled limbs.

Something was wrong. An inkling of mistrust nagged her thoughts. There was no doubt that he was dead, her medical chakra had proved that fact. No, it was almost as though the abnormal feeling of déja vu prickled her senses. Sakura dismissed it while wiping her hand on her ripped pants. The symptoms of a pounding headache were making themselves apparent. So many queries circled her head that it deemed nigh impossible to establish an answer to them.

Tucking the front stands of her hair behind her ear, she turned towards her team mates. Both had removed their ANBU masks. Naruto flinched. Sakura frowned a little at this.

"Naruto, are you sure that you're OK? You gave me quite the fright a while back." Naruto stared at her with a mixture of heartbreak and nausea. Cautiously, as if expecting her to lash out, he approached Sakura. When at touching distance, his arms unlocked and entwined themselves around her slim waist in a hesitant embrace. She received no normal bear hug, similar to the usual ones that squeezed the air from her lungs. Nor did she receive his warm grin which usually accompanied it.

"I should be the one to ask you that. Don't you ever scare me like that again. Promise?" His shaking arms tightened slightly before retreating. With that he stepped back and searched her face. His eyes dilated. He lifted a lone finger and wiped a singular tear that was trailing over her cheek. He looked at the droplet curiously.

"What are-?" Sakura began. She was cut off.

"Do you promise me?" Turquoise irises flickered scarlet from his demonic counterpart.

"Cross my heart and hope to die." Sakura granted him a small smile. Assured, Naruto swayed gently before leaning to the side. He was steadied with a comforting clasp before he had the chance to collapse. Green healing chakra encompassed her hand as she probed his forehead.

"Kakashi, Naruto has concussion, not to mention his injury from Sharkskin has drained the chakra from his stores. He needs medical attention, but I don't have the energy to aid him. If you leave now, even with Naruto on your back, you should arrive in Konoha within a few days. After the bodies are secured, I'll be sure to follow and catch you up."

Nodding, Kakashi relieved Sakura of Naruto, dragging him to a comfortable position, wedged on his back. He turned to leave.

"Oh, and Kakashi, when I return, could you please recap everything that happened tonight?"

"You don't remember?" A trace of fear, and guilt passed his eyes, before regaining their cool exterior.

"For some unknown reason, I have blank voids, almost as though a mental block is barricading them. It's hardly a regular occurrence, so I'm not too worried. However, I will consult my master for her opinion."

Kakashi dismissed himself from the clearing, weaving through the trees at full pace.

Chipper callings whistled anew from the surrounding branches. Early morning birds soared across the crisp dawn sky. The clouds which were carpeted the previous night were drifting from view by the breeze. Sakura chewed her lip in agitation. The last few hours brought masses of unanswered questions to her attention, the first of which, the reason Itachi smiled immediately prior to his impending death. It was only brief, but Sakura could recognise it for what it was.

Dewed blades of grass tickled her toes. Sakura sauntered over to the huddled body of the Uchiha. His nose was buried, face down in the grit. The masculine aroma of cedar and iron, combined with his dried perspiration.

"You knew something, didn't you Uchiha? Even after death, you continue to be as mysterious as the living version. It irks me to no end that you brothers rouse my curiosity so." She chuckled dryly. "Oh well, one down, one to go. Then your clan really will be extinct." Her morbid thoughts were intermittent. Dark hair what was once lengthy on the Uchiha, was now cropped, brown streaks highlighting a bed-head texture. The colour drained from her now clammy skin. Shaking hands rolled him to face upward.

"No, no, no, no, NO! This can't be happening!"

Blank, un-seeing eyes stared upwards, unfocussed. _Blue_ eyes. A crooked nose followed down to a pronounced chin, un-shaved stubble giving a rough, jugged look. He was a man in his thirties, obviously a shinobi from the city of Stone, gauging from his muscular frame. He was not Itachi in any case. Sakura swallowed in dismay. She managed to accumulate her residual chakra, flaring out a signal of distress.

"Oh, it _is _happening my cherry blossom. Welcome to reality."

A sharp, blinding pain in the juncture of her neck seized the movement of her muscles. Her consciousness rippled before submersing to the darkness. Ruby eyes loomed over her. For as long as she lived, Sakura would never forget their beauty…or their devastating abilities.

Sakura was dead to the world before she hit the ground.

* * *

Eeeppp Sakura's scary! ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun! 

Heya guys! All I can say is I'm glad to be writing again! A levels are being a pain in the ass, so free time is of a rare occurrence. However, as you can see, I have finally done the new chapter! I must say I was squealing in fan-girl mode (sad as it may be) while writing the kiss! Blame the hormones! Lol I hope you like it anyways, it took a heck of a long time to complete, with (may I add) no help whatsoever from my best friend and BF who proceeded to mock me, turning nearly every sentence into a dodgy innuendo. hehe. Such kind, understanding people they are…..but I can't help to luv 'em!

Thank you to all of the lovely people who reviewed my last chapter including: CRose20, xXxTsukuyomixXx, whiteinu1, aznkitty180, TeenageCrisis, DudettRin101 and shadowwriter329. You have been so encouraging and it's well appreciated! COOKIES AND MUFFINS TO EVERYONE!

**Ohhh yeah! And guys, since this is a spur of the moment story, if you have any good ideas for the plot, please tell me! You never know, I just might include them if you're lucky! It's also a good opportunity to demand situations and get you more involved with the story :D. **

Please, please, please review. It encourages me to move my lazy ass in updating. Pretty comment and criticisms are brilliant, but, onegai, no flames. Any flamers that I do find will be stuffed in a small box, which will then be put in another box, which will then be put in a bigger box, which will then be sealed with 100000 rolls of sticky tape in a ginourmous box…etc (you get the picture) lol.

Oh and not forgetting all of the people who have favourited or alerted hindrance! You are all stars! You have my blessing, till next time, be safe luv bexxx


	6. A Murderer's Proposition

**Disclaimer: **If I owned Naruto, then Tobi would be the god of all things bright and beautiful. Not to mention Sasuke would actually be real.

**Hindrance:**** Chapter 5 – A Murderer's Proposition**

_Sakura was dead to the world before she hit the ground._

They stood adjacent to one another, both clad in matching uniforms. The crimson clouds which scattered haphazardly on the black material marked them to be of the S-class organization: Akatsuki. No warning other than that was needed to make all shinobi fear for their lives.

Sun rays filtered through the trees; early morning started to creep up on them. Neither man spoke, rather they continued to gaze thoughtfully down at the unconscious kunoichi, sprawled at their feet. Her long rosette hair, now matted with dry blood, looped at the indent of her shoulder. It framed her face, splayed like a cobweb behind her. With her sweater shredded, milky white scars could be seen to criss-cross the skin on her arms.

The fight just past had been in a word, unexpected. When the order to capture the target was given by their leader, no other information apart from her defining battle features was specified. For five months, Itachi and Kisame had scoured the villages, searching continuously for a face without a name. Stone country was just the most recent in a lengthy list of possible locations. To their incredible relief however, the weapon was conveniently tracking them instead. Not only was it this which surprised them, but also the extent of damage that was inflicted by a mere girl. Even when she wasn't in her transformed state, Sakura was able to seriously injure both of the clones; a feat which most men would not consider to attempt.

Itachi would admit it; he was exhausted. For the sacrifice technique to be effective, a large amount of his chakra was needed. Of course, additional power was also expended to allow his clone to use his abilities in combat. True, as opponents, they may have succeeded in subduing her, but had the fight prolonged, the outcome would have been questionable. This surfaced another point. How did one kunoichi manage to escape the confines of the Tsukuyomi, none the less still conscious? For sure, Sakura Haruno was certainly attracting his attention. The first impression he received from the young kunoichi was that of a spitfire; unpredictable, blazing and treacherous.

Well, all he had to do now was dampen her liberty to his control.

"We need to retreat, Itachi. Haruno flared a distress signal immediately after realising the ambush. I can sense the Kyuubi boy and Kakashi heading this direction."

Itachi's eyes flicked over to his partner. Although Kisame was itching for another fight, the trek to the compound normally took a day to complete at the least. Their remaining chakra needed to be reserved for travelling. But that didn't mean that it wasn't feasible to _welcome_ the leaf ninja. Itachi needed to rise up to his reputation of a ruthless criminal. What better opportunity than to make his brief meeting with the copy-nin and the Kyuubi a somewhat memorable experience?

"Kisame. Take the girl and return immediately to base. The Konoha ninjas will only be provoked if they see her body being flaunted." Tugging the seam of his cloak to fold on his hips, the button on his leg pouch was snapped open. Ten inked slips were extracted from inside. Itachi stared nonchalantly at them while slipping into a calculative mode.

"I'm rather disappointed that I'll miss the entertainment. I never did thank Kakashi for butchering my clone just then." Kisame's protests were swallowed when he glimpsed the dangerous look in Itachi's eye. It was never a good sign, even to a fellow partner. The subject was promptly changed. "Oh, and don't forget, Leader wants us to report on the mission at headquarters when we arrive." He gave a strained muffle of a groan as he threaded his arms under Sakura shoulder blades and the crook of her knees. No more conversation was exchanged between the two of them. Kisame only paused to heft the unconscious medic-nin higher up in his grip, before leaping to the nearest tree branch.

With the enemy closing in on the clearing, Itachi made swift work of plastering several notes to the hunched corpses that littered the ground. He didn't feel even the slightest bit of morose for the men who had lost their life for his sake. This sort of thing was an every day occurrence: Killing, maiming, assassination. Itachi was adept at what he did. So why did he have an undeniable urge to watch the kunoichi _live_? He wanted to see the full extent of her power. He wanted to see her break, mentally and physically under his hand. See her suffer like he had. After all, they were both extremely similar and it irritated him that she could still be content with what she had achieved.

Walking away slowly, Itachi felt, rather than heard two men land behind him. He could almost imagine their wearied expression of horror as they gazed down at the unknown shinobi. A small proportion of Itachi's chakra was pulsed into the clearing. Kakashi and Naruto (who were already on tender hooks) jolted with shock from the unpleasant experience. They had expected to encounter their injured team mate, not the recently deceased Itachi Uchiha.

"What have you done with Sakura-Chan, Uchiha?" The venom that laced Naruto's voice was positively alarming. Kakashi glanced at his comrade. It was surprising that he had the strength to support himself, let alone talk.

Basking in the dappled shade of the foliage, his raven hair shimmered. Itachi slowed down to a halt, turning slowly with vindictive pleasure. Shadows moulded to the hollow of his neck; boasting at the lack of injury on his tan skin. Sharingan eyes flashed malevolently and he smirked at Naruto's brazen actions. Wounded as they were, the young Kyuubi boy still had fight left in him. But then again, so did he.

Itachi's whisper was hardly heard above the faint background sounds within the clearing. While Naruto failed to catch what he said, the words were easily lip read. Both men stumbled to run away in desperation.

"Boom."

Blinding light overpowered their senses. The noise was deafening and the force of the explosion lifted them off their feet. Heat burned their skin, singing eyebrows and hair alike. Clouds of dense smoke mushroomed in expansion. In their panic, Kakashi and Naruto saw the shadow clone of Itachi disperse with the outburst. Vibrations shook the ground. Both of them grunted in pain. The air was knocked out of their lungs as they impacted with the ground, skidding to a stop amongst the charred debris.

Then all was still.

* * *

_2 days later:_

Arms shackled,

Chakra limited,

Various injuries,

Held hostage in an unknown place,

Sakura was in more trouble than she could account for. A stabbing pain throbbed in her shoulder muscle, jarring her arm with stiffness. Not only did every joint in her body ache from over exertion, but she possessed too little chakra to heal the remains of her injuries. Shifting slightly, a mattress could be distinguished to be propping her legs straight. The bitter smell of wood alerted her that there was a fire crackling merrily in the room.

"I know you're awake, kunoichi, the tempo of your breathing increased, yeah." The gravely tones of a masculine voice chuckled in amusement from a diagonal to her.

Sakura mentally cursed for failing to notice another presence. Although his chakra level was disguised, rhythmic breathing punctured the silence, broken at times by a sigh.

"Well aren't you the sharpest kunai in the rack? Here I was thinking that all of those in Akatsuki are mentally retarded. Your fishy friend for one…" She shrugged, resisting a grimace from the monotonous pain. "I stand corrected". Emerald eyes opened instantaneously and her pupils adjusted to the dim ambience from the fire. Her guard sat contentedly in the corner of her cell. Dirty blonde bangs cascaded past his left eye, while the other was staring intently at her with interest. The chair he slouched in teetered on its hind legs, the back support connecting with the wall with every swing. He rested his crossed arms in his lap, cradling his stomach.

"You talk too much, it's unsightly, hmmm." Although his words seemed harsh, the tone of his voice hinted there to be a well-humoured counterpart lurking underneath all the talk. In the way he was listening intently for her reply, Sakura could tell she was being analysed.

"Correction, you talk too little. Luckily, I can remedy that…" She clenched her fists as much as the handcuffs would allow. Her voice growled in frustration. "Where am I and what is the purpose of me being here…Deidara? She returned his glare with a cold match.

Deidara's face was wiped blank of emotion for a brief moment. He stood, straightening the rumples in his slacks and mesh top. For a last time, he looked over at a defiant Sakura. She seemed all about ready to attack if it weren't for being held against the wall. Satisfaction crept over his features, confusing her to no end.

"My watch is over, yeah. I have no obligation to answer that." The cricks from his back were stretched in a prolonged yawn. "You might want to reconsider asking all these questions though. Personally, I find it amusing, but I hardly think Itachi will be so flippant." With a tremendous heave, the resound wooden cell door opened and Deidara swept from the room, his sandals grazing the floorboards as he crossed the threshold. Before Sakura could even form an appropriate retort, the entrance slammed shut with a definite lock. She breathed a sigh in her resignation.

Behind the door, Deidara paused to rest in thought. Weapon or not, the girl would make day to day life an event to anticipate. True, she was beautiful, his eyes as an artist could appreciate that much. However, something else struck him as interesting. The fact that she would be game enough to look him directly in the eye, without immediately thinking of him as a murderer was, refreshing. It wasn't every day that he was considered as an equal, much less by a girl. Neither was it every day that a _girl_ could match his sense of humour.

If he wasn't mistaken in thinking that Sakura had given Kisame and Itachi a run for their money in battle, then the kunoichi had an unbelievable power hidden beneath that innocent appearance. Deidara grinned, ambling along the corridor.

Little did Deidara know about the sheer mass of her power, simmering beneath the surface, waiting to be summoned.

* * *

"This is an emergency! We need to see Tsunade baa-…I mean the Hokage immediately. We have a matter of life and death to discuss with her!" Only a brief pause filled the building with silence until Naruto destroyed any chance of a peaceful meeting. "No, an appointment has not been made." Muffled tones could be heard in reply with forced calm, before the hyperactive ninja cut the receptionist off. "She could be having a meeting with a pot plant for all I care! Now let me through!"

A resounding crash echoed loudly through the Hokage's office, startling the drowsy pig who was lounging at the foot of her desk. Two cups of green tea rippled as the glasses trembled from the commotion outside. Tsunade was forced to clasp the crockery in a firm grip when the entire room quaked. The entrance flew open without an indication of notice. Naruto Uzumaki barged through the opening, while struggling against the persistent receptionist. He clutched his side in obvious pain.

Having immediately returned from the battle scene, the remains of team Kakashi had fled back to Konoha in various states of injury. When they passed the gates of the village, even with recommendation, Naruto refused to be escorted to the hospital. Rather, he ignored the suggestion from both Hatake as well as Shizune and proceeded to report to the Hokage with determination.

Random heavy objects were promptly thrown at the blonde ANBU, narrowly missing Kakashi as he ducked to avoid a weighty table lamp. Tsunade was clearly infuriated at being interrupted from her meeting, while her guest simply observed the violent display of emotion with mild entertainment. She growled in aggravation bringing balled fists to collide with monstrous strength on the table. The oak splintered and groaned threateningly at the pressure.

"Within the next five seconds, I expect a decent explanation presented, or god so help me I might just well lodge this desk down your throat. Unless you want to be regurgitating splinters for the next few weeks, I suggest you talk." Fire burned in her hazel eyes and Kakashi followed the guest's lead to retreat to a far corner of the room.

"Sakura! It's Sakura!" At the sound of her student's name, Tsunade faltered. "A rescue team needs to deploy this instant. Akatsuki are heartless bastards; they won't hesitate to kill her. She _needs_ to be saved." Naruto collapsed to the floor, panting on all fours with a burnt arm wrapped around his stomach. The lack of chakra within his system was making him heave in pain. "I need to help her, just this once."

Shock registered in the Hokage's eyes. "What?" She turned to Kakashi, snapping in her ignorance. "Hatake, I want you to answer me in simple terms. Where is Sakura and what happened to her?" Tsunade's voice raised an octave while nearing the end of the sentence. Worry flooded her features.

Unlike his team mate, the copy ninja retained his calm, recognising the direness of the situation. "I regret to inform you Tsunade-sama, but an evaluation of recent events leads me to suspect that Sakura has been has wither been killed or captured by the Akatsuki."

* * *

Sakura tugged repeatedly against the restraints. They were tightened with near maximum force, to the point where her skin was being pinched. Flexing her fingers, she gauged the leverage needed to break them open. Chafe marks were already welded around the circumference of her wrist. Akatsuki certainly weren't taking any chances with the small possibility of her escaping. She allowed herself a small, knowing smirk to break her emotionless mask. 'If this is all that they think will prevent me from grasping my bid for freedom, then they are seriously underestimating me.'

Footprints sent minimal vibrations through the stone wall she was shackled to. Someone was coming. Sakura regulated her outburst of panicked breathing. Surely, she would be subjected to torture in return for information. The heavy door rattled within the frame as it swung open. Sakura suppressed a groan. Itachi Uchiha strode with purpose into her cell, removing his cloak in the process. Her nose wrinkled in disgust. Judging by the dark-rimmed stains ringing the robe, Itachi had obviously been involved in a bloody fight. She only hoped that the outcome of the tussle resulted in _his_ blood being spilled rather than that of his opponents.

Sakura noted with a peeved expression that he failed to knock. "Does becoming a criminal automatically demand that you forgo your manners? It's courteous to knock before entering a room, especially when you know someone is present."

A singular sculpted eyebrow was raised was raised in return to her mocking comment. "You have miscalculated your judgement, kunoichi. I always am polite; in fact it was obligatory from an early age within my clan. However, at this present moment in time, I don't see anyone to apply etiquette to. All I see is a hostage, a disgrace to her village who couldn't even avoid being captured. Something so weak doesn't deserve civility." Her silence was a just enough answer for him. The Uchiha shot a sneer of victory.

"What do you want with me?" Her expression continued to be unreadable. Wide jade eyes landed, unabashed on his.

Chucking his cloak over the chair that Deidara had previously been sitting on, Itachi perched himself comfortably on the edge of a table opposite her. His hands clasped the rim either side of his torso.

"Akatsuki is proposing a deal to you, which most undoubtedly is in your favour, of course."

Sakura scoffed in disbelief. **'Since when did Akatsuki care about the welfare of others? They're all ignorant bastards when it comes to other people's pain!' **Sakura broke the glare first, blinking in astonishment. She was positive that he would be demanding, not giving.

"What sort of deal; what are the stakes?" Her lips were pursed in a grim line. There had to be a catch.

"It has come to our attention that you have a power that would be useful to us. At the moment it appears to be sealed within you, but our organisation has a vast amount of knowledge at our expense and we will be able to counter this." Itachi leaned back on his arms, propping his feet on the chair to the side. "You will be trained and your capacity will be maximised. In return though, you will work under Akatsuki and must allow us to use you in battle."

"You mentioned that I possess a power which you desire. Presumably you are talking about my medical skills, but you also mentioned that said ability is 'sealed within me'. What do you mean by-" She was interrupted mid-sentence by his indifferent monotonic voice.

"You are mistaken kunoichi. Akatsuki want the power of your kekkei genkai, not your skills as a nurse."

"My- what?" Her heart skipped a beat and her mind reeled as she processed the facts. "I have a Kekkei Genkai? How do- why don't I know about it? Surely I would have noticed, or at least heard of it within my clan." Sakura's mind was oddly blank, a first in any situation. Her rage was all but forgotten as she thought out loud to Itachi.

"Ah, so your village classified the information from you? Hardly surprising though, when you consider what you have achieved with your bloodline limit…"

Sakura failed to hear this last sentence. Her eyes were glazed and her mind was now teeming with unanswered questions. "How do you have access to data concerning my family which even I am unaware of? That is of course, you are being truthful, which I doubt."

"With some of Japan's most talented spies following our orders, it was almost beneath us to retrieve such information on your clan. In fact, I am certain that if you concur to this agreement, then you'll be able to view information that will alter your outlook on life."

Dismissed were his promises of the future. Sakura only dwelled on the possibility that she actually could have a kekkei genkai. She didn't entertain the prospect that Itachi was feeding her lies, even though she said so. Why would he take the trouble to simulate this exchange of promises, when it would be easier to leave her rotting corpse on the floor? That would be more his style in any case.

So, if I agree to this…deal, you're saying that I become the weapon of Akatsuki?" Sakura's eyes narrowed in disgust. 'These criminals must need intense psychiatric therapy to believe that I would become their _tool_. It's déja-vu with Zabuza and Haku all over again. Only this time, I can hardly imagine _these_ callous killers to experience a change of heart.'

"Aren't we all weapons? We live to serve the will of our villages. In terms, shinobi are no different from the kunai they use, only with ninja, the owner of the tool is of a bigger scale. You will be used wherever you go kunoichi. Why not work for us and receive something in return?" He shifted his position, crouching forward to cross his forearms across his knees.

"What happens if I refuse?" In the blink of an eye, sharingan hovered not a few centimetres from her. As usual, Sakura was awed by the sheer speed that Itachi could travel at. She couldn't help but feel vulnerable in her current predicament. His breath tickled the tip of her nose.

"Put it this way kunoichi. If you don't agree to our terms, Akatsuki is prepared to launch an attack on Konoha. Not only will we capture and kill the Kyuubi, but every citizen and ninja alike will be slaughtered. Could you bear to suffer the guilt, knowing that you were the cause for countless deaths?"

Sakura's teeth clashed and she hissed from being threatened so. "For all I know, that could be an empty threat-."

"For all you know, there could be a troop of elite ninja prepared to attack. The signal just needs to be confirmed…Do you want to risk that, kunoichi?" Testing her, his head tilted to the side. He was so close; any normal person would think that the two were sharing an intimate moment. That was, if any person could disregard the tenseness of her muscles and the ugly look of bloodlust in his eyes. "You have a day to decide. Just bear in mind, if you do accept, we expect you to keep your promise, otherwise I'll fulfil mine and Konoha will be left as no more than ruins."

He retreated from her enraged form. She watched him leave with utter loathing. "Sakura." Turing towards her, he glanced in question out of the corner of his eye. "My name is Sakura. I would appreciate it if you would call me by it-if you have any decency."

Only a grunt was given in reply to her request. "Meals will be given to you in here. Someone will be sent to deliver your dinner at seven 'o'clock. Remember, only twenty-four hours till we await your decision. You'll be surprised how quickly that time passes…_Sakura_." Once again, the door was closed on her, leaving Sakura facing an empty cell.

The furnishings in the room were anything but extravagant. Apart from the mattress she was sitting on, there was a table standing near the wall opposite her, with several chairs filling the empty spaces. No sign of her rucksack was visible. To her left, a singular barred window let slivers of daylight splay across the rocky floor. In estimation, considering it was the height of summer, the time must have been close to approaching five in the evening.

"That gives me approximately two hours to contemplate and enact an escape plan before food is brought to me." While musing aloud, her calculative gaze flicked to roam every inch of her cell. "With my limited amount of chakra, breaking the iron bars on the windows is not a possibility. Not to mention, even if I did escape from the window, a patrol of some sort would almost certainly hear the commotion. That goes for punching the walls also. My best option is to simply run out the front door. It may be something idiotic that Naruto would do, but I need the element of surprise at the opportune moment."

Sakura glanced down to look at the metal handcuffs. The chilling temperature told her that the iron had no chakra absorption properties.

She exhaled deeply, closing her eyes and gathering as much chakra as could be spared to focus in her arms. The pores in her wrist engorged, allowing energy to seep out, diffusing with the air between skin and metal. Sakura's brow creased and her lip was chewed in concentration. Miniscule balls of light buried themselves along the underside of the restraints, frosting the metal with a blue tinge. She bowed her head, the entirety of her focus centred on expanding the spheres. Intense pressure was levering the cuffs from the inside.

"More." Strain echoed from the metal. "More!" The hinges creaked in protest. **"More god damn it!" **The chakra pried the metal open. It snapped. Sakura gave a moan of relief as she rubbed her aching hands. Circulation flowed easily once again, returning the normal healthy pink tinge to her skin. 'I wonder what the time-."

Periodic steps signified someone to be heading in her direction. "Perfect."

* * *

Over-cooked rice teetered on a heavily-laden tray. Eager to please the new addition to their quarters, the man currently holding the appliance had personally prepared the food himself. And even if he didn't say so, he happened to be rather proud of the result. Nearing the door to her cell, he smiled faintly in anticipation; of course, no-one could see it through the opaque mask which covered his entire face.

Boy, had he heard of the rumours surrounding this kunoichi. Just turned nineteen, she had already surpassed her master, reached ANBU level, become a legend to be feared in all shinobi regions and was now worthy to be accepted into Akatsuki. If he wasn't too bold to admit it, she equalled Itachi in accomplishments.

Using one hand, he moulded his energy as an extension of his digits, forming a skeleton key. When turned in the lock, the door released an agreeable click. It swung inwards, protesting against the rusty hinges.

The chains were empty, dangling loose from the wall. Only an indent on the mattress was left as proof of her presence. The young man sensed imminent danger behind him. Needing both of his hands free, the tray was released from his nimble grasp. A selection of kunai replaced it, four of them, strategically placed between his fingers. Out of the limited vision of his eye, Pink locks of hair could be seen to frame a fierce expression. Within the time it took to blink momentarily, Sakura had drawn back her fist with a swing. She channelled the strength of her momentum into what would be a ferocious punch. Her assailant on the other hand, dipped low, swooping to avoid the attack. Kunai and flesh primed for contact on either side.

Not seconds later, a body plummeted to the stone floor as unconsciousness prevailed.

Standing up, the remaining shinobi glanced down in speculation before striding to the door and locking it once again. "Nice try…Tobi."

* * *

Corridors snaked in different directions like a labyrinth. It was extremely disorientating for Sakura who was now experiencing an unpleasant headache from over usage of chakra. Flamed torches blazed in brackets regularly on the wall. The over-exaggerated shadows heightened her suspicions, making her twitch at the slightest noise.

She approached a corner cautiously, plastered against the wall of the hallway. A lone emerald eye peeked from the edge. Faint booming laughter was heard from somewhere deep within the maze, but the passageway ahead was clear. Sakura shivered. The nape of her neck tingled from a humid breeze. She turned to look over her shoulder.

Sharingan stared back.

Her heart felt as it would burst out of her chest with shock. The veins in her temple throbbed and she swore she could hear the blood being pumped around her body. Mismatched sentences escaped her mouth in squeaks. 'Where did he come from?' A masculine palm rushed to meet her thighs briefly with a slap. Sharp pain hit her calves like a katana had sliced the tendons. White lights popped in her vision and Sakura was overcome with light-headedness. The blood seemed to drain from her lower limbs as strength abandoned her.

"Ugh, what have you done to my legs, you ass?" Her calloused fingers scraped along the dips of the torch bracket level beside her. Failing to sustain a grip, her knees shook and she sank, defeated to the ground. She gave him a cold glare, displaying her utter dislike.

"Now, now Sakura, a girl like you shouldn't be using that sort of language, let alone be showing such an ugly face to a man." Itachi lowered down to a crouch, making himself eye level with the frustrated kunoichi. "You are not the only person to have practice in the medical field. I have severed your chakra circularity system connecting your legs to your main body. Until your energy has re-charged, you won't be able to walk, let alone escape."

Sakura aimed a punch to his nose. Itachi easily avoided the challenge from her weakened form. Not connecting with flesh, her fist flew past his ear. Her bicep was snatched securely. His other hand travelled down to clutch at her hip, radiating warmth into her skin. Startled by his sudden movements, she was unable to react as Itachi lugged her pelvis to rest on his left shoulder. He stood, heaving an unresponsive Sakura as though she were no more than a sack of rice.

She let out an indignant yelp. "Put me down this instant! This is taking an unfair advantage over someone who has no means to fight back." The floor might have been more responsive compared to the answer she received. Sakura struggled with endeavour against Itachi's grip.

"Stop." Icy chills threaded through his voice. An involuntary shiver racked her body. Fruitless attempts of protest were immediately ceased. His tone held such authority, that Sakura found herself obeying on instinct. She admonished herself for allowing Itachi the upper hand. **'Since when did he start to control me? Shannaro!'**

A sly smirk twitched at the corners of her mouth. 'Irritation may be a loose term, but it's also a term which I can enforce at my leisure.' Using her forefingers, Sakura prodded the joint at the base of his spine. A jolt of pain was both felt and heard from her captor. "Oops! So sorry; it's difficult to distinguish what I'm doing from this awkward position." A pressure point in her knee was forcefully pinched with precision, sending waves of agony cascading through her bones. "Ah, touché." Propping her chin further by her palm, the other arm dangled limply in defeat, following the curve of his back.

"How on earth were you able to find out I was escaping anyway? Unless you content yourself by tracking my every move, I see no way that you were able to locate my persona through the stone walls." The comment was no more than an individual sulk, but it was spoken out loud, regardless.

"All of the doorways and windows in this compound are chakra sensitive. The sensors respond to any foreign object which crosses the barrier. This alert is then relayed to all of the Akatsuki members via our rings. Of course you, who happened to be ignorant of traps located in the surrounding area, missed traces or the alarm. Next time Sakura, when you attempt to escape, consider this: We are Akatsuki. We have managed to survive this entire time by being thorough and vigilant. Do not hasten to think that we are lax in other aspects of security. In fact, next time, don't bother trying. You will only wind up depleting your chakra."

Sakura paused. Itachi's reply was processed in her mind. "Wow." Without seeing her facial reaction, the message she was conveying was indistinct. A slight twitch of Itachi's head was given in acknowledgement. Sakura chuckled in amazement. "That was quite the speech Uchiha. Who knew that you could speak for such a copious amount of time? Personally, I'm impressed."

"Hn."

Sakura sighed mentally. "And so we return to the one-worded answers. Shame, I thought we were beginning to overcome your speech impediment."

"Ninja that are all talk are the first to die in battle. For some reason however, they never learn from past mistakes and never, I repeat never, understand when to shut up. Why is that…Sak-u-ra?" Her name was drawn out carefully by its syllables, emphasising the sound in ridicule.

"You know, in all possibility, I could be preparing to stab you in the back with a hidden kunai, and you could be none the wiser. Then again, by all means, continue to criticise me aimlessly. Before you die, the last image you'll see will be my satisfied face as I laugh down on your mortally injured form."

"You have no weapon on you." Itachi never wavered in his measured pace.

From her slouched position, Sakura could glimpse flashes of a sturdy heel with every stride. Eyebrows raised, her voice pitched with false curiosity. "So sure?"

"While unconscious, you were searched…thoroughly. I have discovered and confiscated all the concealed weapons on your person."

Mouth opening in outrage, Sakura couldn't express her exasperation in words. A total of fifty weapons had been hidden on her body, excluding her loose kunai, senbon and katana, some of which were hardly displayed in the open**. 'The utter pervert! I'm gonna kick his arrogant ass until the stick that's shoved up there impales his brain.'**

One of Itachi's hands released her useless calves. The corridor narrowed to a singular passageway. Boisterous laughter boomed from the room at the far end. Sakura spewed insults to the wind, fearless of the offence she might be causing him. His hands tensed on the handle of the door before swiftly opening it. Muffling the ruckus, their entrance stilled the chattering to a hushed simmer.

"How dare you do something so indecent? Wipe that damn smirk from your…your-…" Sakura huffed. Holes could almost be felt to bore into her back with the intensity of the stares she was receiving. Addressing her so called 'audience', she cleared her throat. "If you _want_ to stare at an ass, feel free to gawk at the specimen that is currently carrying me. I would rather my behind not be tainted by your lecherous thoughts."

Silence followed, her wit leaving a trail of awe in its wake. "Haruno, you _are_ still alive, yeah?" Deidara's gravely tone broke the calm train that was snaking over their heads. He made no effort to hide his amusement, and was little short of bursting into laughter. The scene was simply too comical for his intoxicated self to handle.

"Set me free and I'll let you know. However, analysing my current predicament, I hesitate to think you'll let me simply skip out the front door." Her voice dripped with sarcasm. Brooding was the most productive thing she could do without causing further injury to herself. If she could annoy others at the same time, two poor birds would be maliciously killed with one stone. "Why?"

"You should count yourself lucky, hmmm. In any other situation, Itachi would render your head from your shoulders if you offended him so."

"Heh, the Uchiha wouldn't do anything of the sort. He may look like a cruel," A frown furrowed Itachi's brow. "Arrogant," His jaw tightened to a new level of rigidness. "Vindictive," Sharingan eyes narrowed in warning. "Bastard, but inside, his heart's as fluffy as a lemon soufflé." At her bantering sentence, the vice-like grip on Sakura's calves was automatically removed. Peering over her shoulder, she simpered expectantly at the back of Itachi's head, waiting for a matching insult, only to be jostled promptly from her perch. With no support, Sakura plunged down to meet the floor in an undignified nosedive. Her palms grazed from the rough surface of the tiles, piercing shards of grit into the fleshy padding.

The use of her legs prohibited, aching arms were used to force her torso into a sitting position. For the first time since she entered the room, she scanned to look at the occupants from her disadvantaged view-point. A deride scowl marred Itachi's face. "Can I assume, Sakura by the rashness of your recent actions that you have come to a decision on the agreement?"

* * *

Jeez I have so much fun playing with Itachi and Sakura. It's like being god….without the facial hair.

I hope everyone had a brilliant xmas with enough mince pies to leak out of your ears and so forth! I also hope you like this chapter. I'm not entirely sure I do, but am literally chewing my own socks from tiredness, so I called it quits. If you see lots of unanswered questions, the blanks will most likely be filled in the next few chapters. Oh and I apologise, I spelt Tsukuyomi wrong in the last chapter (meh, it was close enough, lets call it artistic licence).

Thank you so much to: **Lady V-chan****aznkitty180****TeenageCrisis****ArjunaAnja****Aoi Hana9****BlackThorns95****xXxTsukuyomixXx****akatsuki's hikari****RemusRox**(don't worry you're not over analysing anything! Itachi recognises Sakura's strong demeanour, and wants to try and break that. Since the two are quite similar-he admits it himself, Itachi tests her limits to try and 'beat' her. The creepy guy sees it as a sense of accomplishment, but since this story is a romance…it will progress to that. Promise, I'm not going to include any clichés-well, where not appropriate anyway lol. As for not being an Itachi fangirl….there is plenty of time for you to come over to the dark side mwoahahah), **aznchick99**, **SilverIceFox** and** Coeur Casse **for reviewing. Also, I want to say a great big Arigato to all of the people who have marked Hindrance a favourite, or alerted it.

**Please review! Then you'll get your name up here! **It's also an opportunity to clarify any wobbly bits that aren't specified in the story. I'll do my best to answer. Nice words and criticisms are welcomed. Any flamers however will be tortured with my cooking, which apparently is terrible. Till next time, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, be safe luv bexxx


	7. Enemies, Decisions and Apples

**Disclaimer: (sings along) A sailor went to sea sea sea, to see what he could see see see, but all that he could see see see, is that I really don't own Naruto. **

**Hindrance:**** Chapter 6-Enemies, Decisions and Apples**

"_I presume, Sakura, that by the rashness of your recent actions, you have come to a decision on the agreement?"_

The ninja seated at the table anticipated her answer. Although Kisame tried to hide his curiosity, judging by the way he ceased his liberal drinking, he too was listening intently. Sakura was most definitely game, he could give her that. Those who had the guts to stand up to Itachi were few and far between. Even though he himself towered near two feet over his partner, what the Uchiha lacked in size, he more than made up for in intimidation skills.

Deidara, on the other hand, made no attempt to shield his interest. Not that he could at the present moment. Rice wine bottles littered the engrained wood of the table surrounding his elbows. With more than his fair share of alcohol, the entire situation buzzed with excitement.

Emerald eyes widened at Itachi's implication. No thought had been previously spared concerning the 'deal' as it were. If things had gone as planned, then she would be halfway to Konoha right now. _'It's funny how things turn out, ne?'_ Sakura thought in resentment. Now, she was being pressured into giving an answer that would determine the fate of her village.

Scouting the room, her moss green eyes latched upon another pair that matched her own. A man, who looked slightly older than her, focused his concrete stare on her emotionless face. His pupils were resolute, broadcasting his murderous disposition for all to see. Not much else of his other features could be seen over the wide-brimmed collar of his cloak, but between his thick locks of ice-white hair, chiselled cheekbones carved a masculine quality onto his clean shaven jaw.

'Katsurou.'

Sakura remembered skim-reading his name among the countless scrolls on Akatsuki. One of the perks from being apprentice to the Hokage was the unlimited access to her personal library; something she exploited to her advantage. Throughout the four years she worked with Tsunade, she had come across the brief mention of his name in the records. Just his first name: no surname, no background, _nothing_.

He was a man shrouded in mystery. Maybe it was because he was adept at blending in with the background; she could only guess. But even when she looked directly at the boy, she still couldn't quite place him. Behind the frostiness of his eyes lay hoards of conflicting emotions: anger, curiosity, malice, commitment…the list was endless.

If anything, this guy was troublesome. It was taxing to figure out what the _Uchiha_ was thinking. Sakura hardly wanted another indecisive ninja as her enemy.

So why did she feel like she could trust him?

As much as her inner self admonished her conscience for it, Sakura felt like she could relate to him on a level. The feeling wouldn't go so far as to trust him completely…But his honest, raw emotions gave her the impression that he too didn't want to be here; fighting for this cause. Something else was on his mind.

Sakura was cut short of her dwellings by Itachi. It was only then that she remembered that several rather dangerous enemies were waiting on her.

"Well, Sakura? I'll tell you now; I am not one to repeat myself. What is your answer?" The weighty glare of the sharingan was almost suffocating her rationality. He bore his glare onto her lower form. In an attempt to claw back the remains of her dignity, Sakura gripped the dresser behind her back for support. With every inch she pulled her dead weight upwards, her confidence flourished.

"If you hate to repeat yourself so much, then I'm sure you should recall saying not two hours ago, that I have a day to make my choice. Barely four hours have passed since then. Although I am _flattered_ that you would consider my input such a _vital_ consideration in your everyday lives…What's the rush?" Sakura's arms tensed on the dresser. She brought herself up to her full height. Even though she barely reached Itachi's jaw line, standing taller redeemed her pride; if only a little.

"Being pressurised to make a decision prioritises the consequences. All ninja should be able to think fast in any situation to ensure the safety of their comrades." Stepping forward, he emphasised the distance between the levels of their brows. Not wanting to appear cowardly, Sakura was forced to jolt her gaze upwards to openly scowl at his scarlet eyes. "Or are you not capable of doing _anything_ on your own?"

Sakura hissed at the offence. "The purpose of leading a team, Itachi-_san_, recognises that you should never be alone when faced with a dangerous circumstance. Your comrades are there to provide support. Unlike you, I value the loyalty I have for my team-mates; I cherish the safety of my village and as such will strive to protect it. I will _never_, _willingly_ break the trust I maintain with my Hokage."

Itachi merely raised an eyebrow to her reply. He noted the mock use of the formal honorific with amusement. She was certainly aware of how to offend him. Being so brazen as to refer to him as such without implying the least bit of respect, her evident sarcasm was portrayed.

Therefore…" conflicting thoughts plagued her insistently. Sakura picked at her lip with her teeth; a habit she could never shake off while deep in thought.

'If I accept, I would be considered a missing-nin for certain. I would be betraying everyone I hold dear: disregarding my entire past. Could I really do such a callous thing to Naruto? To have both of his team mates seemingly betray him: his heart would be shattered. _Oh god, Naruto_.'

"Therefore, under the circumstances…"

'**Being stationed here gives me the perfect opportunity to infiltrate Akatsuki from the inside. Only fools would pass up this kind of chance!' **Inner Sakura reasoned against any doubts. Her calculative mind was weighing up the different possibilities.

'Konoha will remain standing. I will not allow these men to destroy the lives of countless villagers. My own death would come first.'

"Under the circumstances, I have decided to _accept_ your offer." Itachi searched her eyes for traces of doubt. Only resolution stared back at him. She was consistent in her decision. "However, I refuse to take part in any attack against Konoha…Deal or no deal."

'**I may be weak. But I am certainly not foolish.'**

A chortle of mirth echoed from across the scrubbed-wooden table. Deidara and Kisame had resumed their drinking, now that the tension had drained from the air. Neither of the men looked perturbed by her decision; quite the opposite in fact. Judging by their amused glances towards their new member, they were pleasantly surprised.

"I'm sure that will be considered into our bargain. A few lenient circumstances will be made in exception. But don't expect leader-sama to regard this with ease. You are to remain traitor to your village from now on, after all. Akatsuki do not show mercy towards their previous villages. Do you confirm by joining us that you will break the bonds you have with those from your past?"

'**Never.'**

"Yes. I understand…Albeit begrudgingly and against my will." Sakura shifted her position. Dull throbbing was now enhancing the pain in her arms.

Katsurou had hardly moved from his previous position. He only shifted in his chair, propping his elbows on the armrests. Dark intensions flickered beneath his jade eyes. This however, was lost on the other members, who had swivelled their heads towards the kitchen entrance. Muffled sounds of distress were suddenly heard, bellowing ungraciously from the corridor. Seconds later, a flustered Tobi had barged into the room. Showers of dust rained down on their heads. The door creaked ominously, dangling precariously from its hinges by the force it had bounced against the frame. Tobi's head swept from side to side in disorientation. Spying Itachi, he launched in the Uchiha's direction.

Itachi glanced carelessly over his shoulder at the young member. His face remained plastered with a blank look.

"Itachi-san! I-It's the prisoner. She's escaped from her cell." His hand rested on the table in support and was he panting from the panic. "She can't have travelled far in her condition-"

"Sakura has neither escaped from the compound, nor does she have to be tracked." Swivelling his back to the side, a disbelieving Sakura was revealed. Her eyebrow was raised and her face was contorted into a dubious expression. She briefly wondered if idiots really _were_ allowed into Akatsuki. Presumably so, since the boy before her seemed to have his mask a little too loose. "Have the preparations for the unsealing been completed?"

Gathering his wits, he stammered, breaking away from his surprise. "Of course, but everybody involved needs to be briefed on the method before we proceed. If the jutsu is to be completed tonight, everyone needs to meet up at the training grounds within the next half an hour. " At this comment, Itachi nodded, as though the cue for conversation to spark. The room filled with sly banter as they exited, their laughter fading down the corridor. An awkward silence hung thickly in their wake.

"You automatically presumed that I would accept your offer? Not the smartest move Uchiha. You know, ninja who make presumptions about the enemies' strategies are always the first to die in battle, and they never, I repeat never understand when to stop. Why is that I-ta-chi?" Sakura smirked with revenge as she threw his previous insult back in his face. It earned her a slight scowl, increasing her satisfaction.

For a second, Itachi looked at her smug face quizzically, before giving a hollow chortle. The conceit was wiped from her face, the amusement withering behind her eyes. With measured paces, he padded back towards her. His shadow slithered up her body before he towered above her petite form. Sakura's cold eyes were fixed forward, boring holes into the toned muscles of his chest. Itachi was far closer than her liking, yet he continued to shorten the distance between them.

Sakura swallowed, dispensing the uncomfortable dryness from her throat. Determined not to give him the upper-hand, she raised her gaze to meet his scarlet eyes, his breath fanning on her eyelashes. Her lower back jammed against the rim of the dresser. Even though this separated them slightly, Itachi only used this as an invitation to advance even closer. Their thighs skimmed through the fabric of their slacks.

The blunt ends of her rosette hair were tickled by his fingers as he placed his muscled arms either side of her hips. This small movement lowered his torso, causing their stomachs to press against each other. Her breathing hitched.

'**Trapped! God damnit!'**

"Well, it seems that all of your training _did_ teach you something. Ninja should always expect the unexpected..." Itachi lowered his head to her level. The perspiration on their brows merged when their brows touched. She prayed to god that he couldn't feel the insistent beat of her heart through their chests. Her face may never portray her feelings, but her body language betrayed her.

Nerves skyrocketed. Fright overwhelmed her senses; she was almost completely at his mercy.

Sakura swore that she felt a minute brush of his lips against hers as he spoke. "…But I'm no ordinary ninja, am I, Sakura?" Itachi titled his head slightly in questioning. Sakura gathered her remaining willpower. She would NOT give him the satisfaction of making her feel uncomfortable. But he was so…close. So solid: so…there. Present - something that Itachi's younger brother never was.

His intense gaze never strayed from her spirited eyes. It was oddly pleasing for her to be the one to hold his attention; he never usually showed interest in anything that didn't concern Itachi Uchiha. Or was it Sasuke who she was being pressed against? Dehydration was clouding her rational thought. 'No. It's definitely Itachi. Sasuke didn't have stress-lines marring his eyes.' For some strange reason, she wanted to touch them, trace her fingers along his cheeks. His eyes had seen so much. There were so many horrors in his past that his troubles had left their mark on his appearance. He was mere centimetres away. All she needed to do was reach out…

"Kunai." Itachi's hushed voice sliced through her treacherous thoughts.

An animated flush crept onto her cheeks at their hardly-casual proximity. **'You're delusional! Snap out of it before you get yourself killed.' **Her embarrassment and fear at the situation surged anew. "What?"

The corners of Itachi's mouth twitched into a smirk. Sakura's eyes were glazed and she was distracted. The thought that he was the reason of her carelessness was strangely rewarding. His original intention had been to scare her, to place her on guard. She should be aware that in this everlasting game of chess, to remain as an active player, she must plan each move before-hand. If sacrifices need to be made, she must break the naivety that she will be safe. If she looses her use, becomes a hindrance, then she too will be sacrificed to achieve the bigger goal.

Of course, he had predicted that she would refuse to aid the siege on Konoha. The village's kindness would not let those accustomed to its warmth, break those bonds so easily. Walls that surround a village, while they protect the people inside, they also prove a barrier to progress. Sakura would not become a true ninja until she escaped the confines of those walls. He would help her achieve this. She too will maximise her capacity.

Sakura could feel the lingering touch of his fingers at the waistband of her trousers. Her eyebrows furrowed, mouth opened in exasperation. Before an appropriate retort could be mastered, Itachi's smooth, monotonic voice echoed in the shell of her ear. "You have several kunai hidden in your slacks. I presume that you stole them from Tobi, did you not?"

Sakura's eyes widened. 'How did he know? There's no way they can be seen from the outside!'

Her heart twitched in shock. Itachi's calloused digits glided further down, following the curve of her hip to rest on her thighs. Intense heat rushed to her legs, dispersing the cold from her stiff muscles. Sakura mastered the impulse to not lean in. A slight smile touched the rim of his mouth. "Why you _failed_ to use your weapons however, I _don't_ understand." Backing up, Itachi noted the expression on her face with relish; her jaw was rigid from frustration and her breath hissed slightly as it passed through her clenched teeth. He leaned closer, barely centimetres from her lips, one of his hands stretching behind her.

"You never cease to intrigue me, Sakura_-chan_." Something smooth nudged the back of her hand before Itachi grabbed her wrist, dropping an apple into her open palm. "Eat. The energising effects of that soldier pill you took must be wearing off by now. You won't be able to eat once the unsealing process commences." With that cryptic sentence, he disappeared. A cold, empty feeling washed over her torso from where the heat source vanished. That's what Sakura decided the reason was, in any case.

The apple clutched in her hand reflected her bewildered expression in its surface. **"What the hell was that about?"**

"Come." Her head snapped up at the order. Itachi was still in the room, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed. Turning, he passed the opening and was promptly swallowed by the endless corridors. His voice reverberated against the stone walls. "There is time for you to wash yourself before the preparations begin. Follow me. I'll show you the way."

With dawning realisation, she tested her weight with a tentative foot. The chakra highways in her legs were connected again; they were obviously healed by Itachi. Her grip on the apple tightened, piercing the skin with crescent marks. It was so frustrating that not only did she not notice, but she didn't have the initiative to check. Was it fear that froze her in place? Hardly likely; while Sakura was scared for her life, the Uchiha did not frighten her himself. So what was it that rendered her immobile? In any case, she decided to postpone her problems till after she was clean.

Sakura strode purposefully to the door, quickening her pace to catch up with his shadow. The fruit was already half-eaten. It did barely anything to quench her hunger, but this kunoichi wasn't one to complain. Desperate times called for surviving without sustenance for days at a time. It was manageable. She could get through this. The question was; could she get through this _alive_?

* * *

Sakura never truly realised how filthy she was until the caked grime was scrubbed from her saturated skin. Day's worth of sweat and dirt spiralled down the drain. 'If only my troubles would also be washed away.' She ran her fingers through her hair impatiently, untangling the sections matted with dried blood.

It was so…maddening to discover that she had concealed powers, but was still unable to use them. Why hadn't her parents told her when they were alive? Did they come to the conclusion that she wouldn't be able to use them? Bring disgrace to the Haruno name? Even though Sakura wished she could deny it, a small word of conscience agreed with her dread. She was pathetic, a disappointment to Konoha and herself.

The tiled wall she was eye-level with, cracked cleanly under her clenched fist. Crumbling plaster sifted to the floor. With a frustrated groan, she masked her aggravation under a pained frown. It would do no good to lash out at a time like this. A level head was needed to survive. Sakura resigned herself, exhaling her negative feelings. At least one positive thing came from all of this: she wasn't lathered in sweat anymore. A flippant snort was muffled by the back of her hand. She was _really_ clutching at short straws here.

Stepping out of the shower, she pouted at the remains of her ANBU attire. There were tears in just about everything and her armour had been confiscated along with her backpack. Unless she wanted to prance around Akatsuki in rags, she would be forced to take the only other option. Disdainfully eyeing the pile of clothes by the sink, she lifted a pair of slacks up to the light. "My, My, aren't they prepared. To provide me with an outfit at such short notice is such admirable behaviour." She thumbed the collar of the Akatsuki cloak, folded neatly at the bottom of the pile. "I don't care much for their choice in what I wear though." Needless to say, the cloak was left perched on the sink.

Sakura glanced at her new look from a mirror's perspective. All in all, the clothes fit her reasonably well. The mesh shirt and tank-top allowed her free movement, while her kunai were tucked away safely in the material. Leaning over the corner of the sink, she studied her reflection while adjusting her headband. Her eyes were old. Years of suffering pooled in her irises. The life of a kunoichi had made her as such. But even as she despised the pain that was evident in their depths, they held no regret. She chose her life from an early age; and was proud of it. The agony of experience only made her stronger, and she would continue to battle her demons. And this time…this time **he** would be the weakened one.

Her eyes flashed black.

The shock caused her breath to hitch. Blinking, they returned to jade as quickly as it had come. 'Wh-what was that?' She clamped her lids shut and shook her head. 'I really am being delusional.' Sakura massaged her temples in confusion.

The click of the door unlocking echoed through the bathroom. Her eyes snapped right. Sure enough, the lock could only be accessed from the inside. It was no coincidence, there was someone there. With the utmost caution, she turned the handle, gripping a kunai in the process.

Silence. She was faced with the flickering flame of a torch on the wall opposite. Her eyes narrowed in speculation. A smirk twitched at the corner of her lips as she swung the knife across her body to the right, dipping her stance for balance. Sparks flew from the collision of metal on metal, two pairs of emerald eyes glinting in the dim ambience. Katsurou peered at the kunoichi through his bangs, soaking in her excitement; something he knew was also plastered on his own face.

"I'm pleased to see you have your wits about you, Sakura-chan". His smooth voice lingered in her ears, a sound that could bend the will of most women; the epitome of deceit.

"And _I'm_ pleased to see that you don't underestimate me, Katsurou-kun." She gestured to the readily prepared katana that was struggling against her kunai. With a deftly executed arc, both weapons were separated, neither person with the advantage. His eyebrow twitched.

"Why would I underestimate someone in the Akatsuki? Even if she _does_ have pink hair." Sheathing his katana, he gestured for her to do the same. "It's this way to the training room. Everything has been prepared for the unsealing of your kekkei genkai." Stretching out an arm, he offered her an apple. "Itachi-san also instructed to give you this." With only a flicker of hesitancy, she accepted it, inhaling the crisp smell before sinking her teeth into the juicy flesh. Katsurou studied her every move with interest, his eye twitching as she tore the apple down to the core. "From what I hear, the unsealing process is hardly pleasant…Just make sure that you control it before its eats you from the inside." Throwing Sakura one last glance, he stalked down the corridor, his white locks glowing from the torches that lines the walls.

Following his advance down the passageway, her expression turned grim, shadowed with an unsettling apprehension. "I can hardly wait."

* * *

Sorry I haven't updated for ages, my mock exams sucked the life from me and my appearance now resembles that of a platypus. I hope you enjoy this chapter though, including Katsurou, who is a new character to the story! He will play a big part in the plot to come so be on your guard! There were so many names to choose from, but after deliberation from friends, they decided that the translation for 'victory' sounded evil enough. I think he's pretty cool, but I would, seeing as he's all mine lol. What do you think?

Thank you to all the lovely reviewers who wrote on my last chapter including: Kurzon, Mrs.UchihaItachi-hime, madjane, aznkitty180, SilverIceFox, Vithika, SakuraSasukexXXxItachiSakura and yuki san1. You are amazing, and I hope you will continue to read Hindrance. Also, thanks so much to the people who alerted or put my story to favourites. You deserve lots of jelly babies. : )

To all life on earth-Please review! You can give your opinions of my writing, comment with pretty words or give constructive criticisms, but any flamers will be shamed! And then once they are shamed, they will be slapped around the face with a wet fish. Not the most pleasant retaliation I can assure you!

The next chapter will blow your socks off, so look out for that! You will also find out about the highly mysterious origin of Sakura's kekkei genkai-it will be reading well worthy of awe, believe me! Till next time, be safe, Bexxx


	8. Loose Ends

**Disclaimer: Did you know that if you say "I own Naruto" five times fast, it sounds like gullible? **

**Unfortunately, it's not true. I also don't own Naruto**

**Hindrance:**** Chapter 7 – Loose Ends**

Her screams violently pierced the taut drum of silence.

The barrier of chakra which encircled the room, hummed with the strain of her unyielding power. Slicing through the dim ambience of the room, Sakura's torturous pain seemed to degrade even S-Class criminals to a sense of pity. Each man looked on helplessly as they all struggled to suppress the raw energy of her kekkei genkai. Even with four Akatsuki members stationed around the pink haired kunoichi, pumping their chakra to numb the force, the shield was waning.

Sakura remained poised, kneeling on the stone floor, enduring unbearable agony. She knew what the unsealing process would involve. She knew that it would hurt. This didn't faze her – the pain would be manageable and wouldn't last for long. But even this reassurance couldn't have prepared her for the onslaught of mental torture that she was forced to suffer. As soon as the last hand-seal had been made, every memory from when she was confined within her 'other' state plagued her mind like a battering ram.

Her eyes, which were forced open to the widest, reflected her anguish as ebony pooled in her irises. Clawing desperately at the stone slabs, the tiles crumbled, diminishing to mere dust within her clutched fingers. Roves of chakra which crashed around them fostered a burning wind, whipping her long hair away from her forehead. Itachi raised his arm to cover his eyes from the flurries of grit that itched at his tensed muscles. Unsealing Sakura's kekkei genkai was proving harder than he imagined. Acting as the mediator, he was currently coaxing her powers to her conscious state, and while the results were sluggish, Itachi could gradually distinguish the murderous aura which he had previously encountered. The cold sweat which lined his brow told him as such.

Itachi hissed in reflex. Tendrils of ominous chakra were winding around his wrist, scorching several layers of skin as they progressed. Impulsively, he tore his hand from her forehead, persistently shaking the wisps of chakra, which had now burned deep welts in his flesh. Narrowing his eyes, he observed her state. Although his connection with the weakened seal had been severed, Sakura's second consciousness was seizing the chance to dominate control of her mind…with success.

A wild gust of wind licked the torches. The room plummeted into darkness, ringlets of smoke rising from the brackets along the walls before being whisked by the wind. An eerie glow was cast by the shield of chakra, illuminating the rugged features of the Akatsuki.

Deidara was forced backwards by the outward pressure of the barrier. His teeth grated as the sheer vigour pushed the soles of his sandals along the stone floor. The amount of power that the small medic-nin was emitting was utterly phenomenal. Compared to the fighting skills that she had apparently displayed in the forest, what had been unsealed now was nearing in-human quality. Sakura's screams were monstrous and unleashed, all emotion poured into one sound. The temptation to recoil was almost overwhelming; anything to escape the gut-wrenching agony which flooded her prolonged cries.

As an S-Class criminal, Deidara was well accustomed to hearing the pained screams of victims. On numerous occasions, he had even bore witness to the suffering from those trapped in Itachi's tsukuyomi. A pang of sympathy struck his heart like a physical blow. 'Why is this situation any different? Why on earth do I feel pity for this…this…?' His sentence faltered when he glanced at her. To call this girl a monster would be unjust. True, she possessed an ability which shadowed even the most feared shinobi. But unlike those beasts, some of her innocence still remained. Sweat beaded in droplets on her forehead while her expression was that of excruciating pain. His head tilted from her crumpled body. Deidara could only imagine what horrors she was experiencing.

* * *

_29__th__ March, (three years previous). _

_A broad grin plastered over her content features. The faint glow from the moon was splaying across her futon, rippling lazy patterns into her shadow. It was near impossible for her to sleep. Her mind was still buzzing with excitement, and her thoughts roused a small giggle to break the silence. _

_Her sixteenth birthday was absolutely phenomenal. It seemed like near half the village had gathered, sandwiched into the 3__rd__training ground to celebrate. Sakura was completely oblivious to what her friends had arranged. While she was aware of their suspicious behaviour, even Naruto had refused to break under her questioning glare; not to mention the offer of a free meal at Ichiraku's. He was obviously tempted, but a sharp glare from Ino promptly sealed his resolve. It wasn't until she arrived at the designated time to train, that she realised the reason everyone had been so subdued that morning. _

_The sight was truly memorable. Streamers were draped haphazardly over every spare tree branch and hundreds of balloons swayed casually in the breeze. From what she could gather before she was pummelled to the ground with hugs, the entire field had been converted into an enlarged picnic area. The shrill screech of party whistles zigzagged with endeavour while Sakura stood, choking on what could have been the biggest shock of her life. _

_Of course, Sai was practically_ ecstatic _at_ _her embarrassment. In fact, he was so enamoured with her flushed expression that he painted a picture of her mortification and proceeded to taunt her with it for the rest of the evening._

_Turning over underneath the covers, she stilled. Her smile was briskly ironed out into a concentrated frown. Something was different. It was faint, almost indistinguishable, but above the usual sounds of the night, her father's voice bellowed. Confusion pricked at her senses. 'It has to be well past midnight. Shouldn't everyone be asleep already?' Sure enough, her bedside clock relayed that it was just shy of 4 am. _

_Her mind was now thrumming with curiosity. There had been few occasions to which her father had resorted to shouting; it was made clear that he would rather raise his voice than yell. But even though this piqued her interest, she was little less than baffled when the hiss of her name entered the heated conversation._

* * *

_The unpleasant sting of cold wood chilled the soles of her feet. Masking her presence, she slinked along the veranda, slipping through the shadows. It wasn't until she reached the door to the kitchen, that she allowed herself to breathe. Guilt itched at her insides at the prospect of eavesdropping; it was so... uncouth. Since when had she been downgraded to such childish behaviour? Scoffing at her own self-reflection, she ignored the alarm bells that were chiming in her head. 'This kitty-cat is too stubborn to die from curiosity.'_

_The conversation behind the panel hushed suddenly to forced calm. Unconsciously, her body tilted closer to the silk screen, drinking in their words. _

"_-With the elders. It's been, agreed, that Sakura should renounce her occupation as a ninja." Shouta Haruno stood facing his wife, wringing his hands in nervous hesitation. He seemed to stumble, cowering under the knowing gaze of his wife. "We need her help to support the family business." Even as Sakura registered that her father was talking, the revelation of his words struck her dumb. Anger ebbed through her veins at the idea._

_In reply, compromising, motherly tones drifted from the other side of the room. "Being a ninja is Sakura's ambition; she was offered the decision to help me work while she was still an academy student. Our daughter is perfectly fine as she is. And anyway, I'm OK running the business on my own. Sakura always lends a hand when she has free time and I'm satisfied with that. She does enough to help the family." Eying the denial smeared on Shouta's face, the warmth evaporated from her eyes, though the strained smile remained in place._

"_Darling, you _know_ it's a struggle to maintain service and I think this is the perfect opportunity for her to prove her dedication to our clan: she _is _the one who will be the head once we pass away." Shouta took to pacing the floor, exaggerating his hand gestures for emphasis._

_Her mother snorted gruffly in denial. "Sakura upholding the business is hardly the main issue here is it? Even if you avoid the subject, you know it will only come back at you." With this sentence she rounded on her husband, palming her fingers on the table with a dull slap. Sakura barely hid her astonishment beneath her exasperation; she had never seen her mother even remotely angry before. "You're afraid of our daughter; fear what she will become in the future, don't you?"_

"_Don't _you_? She's sixteen, Kimiko, _sixteen_! Already qualified for Jounin level…near being the prodigy of our clan, and she hasn't even awakened yet!" _

_Flailing his arms wildly, his voice raised an octave. Hysterical laughter bubbled from his mouth and his eyes widened with distress. _

_His reasoning was waved of with a flippant glance. "You don't need to worry about that. Sakura-chan has always been a late bloomer... her kekkei genkai will develop soon enough." _

_Sakura meanwhile stood desperately trying to digest the conversation. Her brows furrowed atop jade eyes which were now clouded with confusion. At the mention of a bloodline limit her mind reeled. The revelation that the Haruno's had a kekkei genkai was incomprehensible – Infuriating, rather, to be precise. Why had her family kept something as crucial as this from her? If it was some form of punishment, Sakura failed to see the reason._

"_That's exactly what troubles me and you know it. Nearly every member in our family gained control over their released powers before the age of ten." Defeated, he slumped, hunching over the countertop. A wearied sigh laced his words. "What if our daughter becomes uncontrollable? What if she leaves us? Being surrounded by power, it could change her for the worse."_

_Kimiko withered. She knew her husband only had good intentions for their family. The tension visibly drained from her shoulders. "Sakura has been brought up the way the clan wanted. We haven't told her about our powers. Think logically for a moment, when have we ever shown her how to use her strength for reasons other than the good of the village?"_

_From outside, Sakura could picture the condescending expression on Shouta's face, as if explaining to a 5-year old. "What about the people who she's in contact with? Sakura always did have a fixation with the Uchiha boy. He may have been a genius, but his prospects only led him to Orochimaru. Then there's her team mate: Naruto Uzumaki; the Nine-Tailed Fox. Previously a terror to the village! I hardly think that these influences are healthy." As if rising to a challenge, he drew himself up to full height. "I propose that she is introduced to men worth of her company."_

"_In other words, force her into an arranged marriage?" Kimiko snorted at the previous euphemism. Trust her husband to twist his words for the acceptance of others._

"_Not force. If we give her the illusion of choice then she might naturally enjoy a male's attention." Choice was the technical term. Even if Sakura realised her father's plans, the contract between the two engaged would be irreversible once approved._

"_Who are you planning to involve?" It was a last, desperate attempt. If Kimiko could dissect any positive reasoning for the choice of groom, then there was still hope for her daughter. She didn't deserve the disappointment of a bland life. _

_I've heard that that Hyuuga boy of the branch family will soon be scouting for a wife. Neji Hyuuga."_

_Something akin to comprehension crossed her face. Of course she should have expected this of Shouta. Ranking the needs of the clan before his family was a recurring 'quirk' of his. Hyuuga was an extremely influential name. Being considered a prodigy himself, the marriage with such an esteemed shinobi as Neji would encourage Shouta's reputation as a business partner. "Don't you think that you are over-exaggerating the entire situation? For Sakura to be betrothed to a friend at the age of sixteen is rather sudden."_

"_On the contrary, if you recall, we were arranged to be married to each other at the same age. For lead members of our clan, I think that we have been quite lenient with her freedom; her being female and all."_

_Not wanting to anger her husband, she defended her daughter as much as she dared. "That may be so, but you know how stubborn Sakura is. Do you really think she will accept this in her stride?" Confronting Shouta, she couldn't repress the dubious tone in her queries. _

_It was at this point that Sakura unmasked her presence, facing her parents. The silk screen splintered under her grip, the door opened with more force than necessary. All the anger she had suppressed until this moment was leaking out, nudging at her restraint; fracturing the dam beneath her stoic expression. "Yes, father, do you really expect me to follow your orders blindly like a dog on a leash?" A trail of blood inched over the curved of her palm. Crescent markings dotted her skin from the lingering presence of her nails. "Everything that I have strived for, aspired to be, you're asking, no demanding for me to forget them?" Disbelief was added to the mountain of emotions surging through her heat._

"_Sakura, dear-." Fraught with panic, Kimiko faced her daughter in earnest. _

"_Who do you think you are anyway, ordering me around? What right do you have to organise my life?"_

"_I am your father, Sakura. As the head of authority in this household and of this clan, I have full right to tidy up loose ends that threaten the pride of our name. You should never have become a shinobi. You are becoming unstable." By all means in any other situation, Sakura would have dutifully done anything for the sake of the Family. She knew Shouta held his pride highly in his self-esteem. But the line was firmly drawn when her freedom was rounded into the equation._

_Sakura's bellowed protests clanged ungracefully throughout the room. "UNSTABLE? What the hell do you mean by that?" The irony was almost painful. Kimoko retreated several steps at the brutal tone in her voice. With her teeth bared, Sakura look every bit as unstable as her father said._

"_That temper of yours needs to be curbed before you are powerful enough to cause damage with your actions." "Sakura. You will help your mother run the family business. "_

"_I refuse." 'Point-blank.' Her reply was spat out between clenched teeth. So rigid was her stance that her muscles began to ache from the tension. _

_In his fury, the veins lining his temple engorged. "You will not! You have no say in the matter; a Haruno never backs down on his word." _

"_Then neither, will, I." _

SLAP

_The stinging pain flaring through her jaw only amplified her fury. A flushed imprint had already started to flourish from the hit and her head snapped to the side from the force. Blood spattered on the floor as Sakura gritted her teeth, glaring at the inanimate hand. Beneath her bangs, Sakura embraced the smirk that was eager to escape. Roves of anger curled in the pit of her stomach, clawing hungrily at her insides, feeding her power. A power that she could only dream of: It was so raw and gratifying…so tempting. And it was lurking just beneath her skin. _

_But even as she submitted to the pull, her consciousness drifted from her concentration. As much as she tried to deny it, she was scared. Something foreign was taking control; and the experience was far from pleasant. _

_All that could be heard through the silence was the pregnant breathing of her father, his hand inanimate, hovering in the air. Realisation at what he had done slowly dawned upon him. Peering down into his daughter's eyes with distress, his mouth inched open in a silent scream. A manic anger marred her exotic features. Potency spread like wildfire through her blood. Sakura had never experienced such, life. It was invigorating. So far, Sakura had been content with living as a blank scroll of parchment. Now however, blotches of ink sprouted over the expanse, soaking into her core…and a part of her revelled in it. _

_For the first time that night, a scream swept through the Haruno compound._

_Shouta tugged desperately at his hand. Illegible mutters of shock spilled from the grim line of his mouth. Even with all of his strength, Sakura's vice-like grip on his wrist couldn't be pried apart. If anything, her fingers tightened brutally in retaliation to his feeble attempt. Her smirk widened in satisfaction at the cracking of his joints. _

_In the background, Sakura could barely register the horrified cries of her mother, repeating her name in an eerie mantra of protest. _

_Shouta cussed, trying to throw Sakura over his shoulder with his free limb. Predicting this move however, her gaze darkened and she threaded chakra along her digits. Mr Haruno screeched in agony as scorching heat licked at his skin. Within seconds the plump flesh of his hand seared to no more than charcoal, the residual dust spilling in flurries between her fingers. He clutched his stump of a limb to his chest while whimpering in anguish. The pathetic display of selfishness made Sakura want to retch with disgust. Her hand rose again and his eyes bulged within their sockets when she seized his neck in fury._

_For the few seconds Shouta remained conscious, hollow ebony eyes glimmered maliciously in his range of vision. A last, gurgled cry simmered from him before his neck snapped with a sickening crick. It seemed to amuse Sakura in the most morbid sense of curiosity. She grinned at the victory of his limp corpse dropping to the floor. _

_Her victory was shot-lived. _

_Kimiko choked back her cries, stumbling in disorientation through the door. Becoming careless in her haste, a lantern was knocked to the floor as she skimmed the table with frantic hands. Fascinated, Sakura observed when the oil seeped out, saturating the tatami mats before those too flickered alight. An orange glow caressed her skin, complimenting the murderous aura that was blossoming around her. _

_She ignored how the fire crawled over the kitchen. Instead she contented herself with admiring the vicious glint of her katana in the dim light. Sakura couldn't remember when she had unsheathed it from her sash or the reason why rage was gnawing at her stomach. Her malice and rationality were hard to distinguish, merging with the smoke that hung thick overhead. All Sakura recognised at the moment was the need for blood to pay justice for her pain….and that her blade was itching for it. _

_Stepping over her father's corpse, not even a shudder escaped when the pad of her foot brushed the clammy skin of his face. Her mind was set on other things. The first of which was to find her dear mother. It was obvious that she had alerted the village. Harsh shouts hummed orders above the sharp crackling of the fire._

_As if numb to her surroundings, her katana lagged lazily along the floor, scratching the wooden boards with ease. _

_Sakura's bare feet padded along the entrance hall. Her fingers were outstretched and gently tracing the wall in lazy patterns, a violent contrast from her current persona. Rounding the corner, the lax grip on her sword tightened unconsciously. A firing line of clan members faced her from the opposite end of the courtyard. They all glared at her with the same, hollow eyes; piercing holes with a mixture of shock, hatred and betrayal. Every emotion that flickered through their eyes was easily identifiable: they were firm friends to a shinobi. Once she had experienced them herself, pain was recognisable in others too. _

_The Haruno family were completely unprepared. Never had they expected Sakura; the stubborn, happy-go-lucky ninja from the main branch to awaken a kekkei genkai of this calibre. Normally, the direst circumstance merely proved for restraint to subdue their second conscious. This however…this was leagues out of proportion. Judging by the tremors that tripped along the procession, their meaning of horror had been completely redefined. _

_Sakura chuckled coldly at their hesitation. It could clearly be seen etched into the tenseness of their muscles, while they widened their stances and cocked their chakra bows. They still trusted her. A grave mistake if there ever was one. __**'Our family was always too soft,'**__ she mused ironically. __**'Wearing down the hearts plastered proudly on their sleeves. No wonder they never grew stronger.' **_

"_**S-Sakura Haruno, you have been arrested with the charge of murder under influence. Release your weapon and approach with your hands above your head. If you comply then I promise we will not harm you!"**__The man who spoke fidgeted in position. He was a rookie, fresh out of training from the military police. Practically a virgin to the brutality of war. As such, he couldn't bring himself to look straight at Sakura: his gaze glided to anywhere aside her empty eyes and malevolent smirk. Not that anyone could blame him in this aspect, since he was the only one brave enough to initiate conversation._

"'_**Murder under influence'? That's a rather misgiving title. I'd say I was**_** 'tidying up loose ends'. **_**Wouldn't you agree…mother?" **__From amongst the ranks, Kimiko gave a startled cry of fright. The desolate tone of Sakura's words was prominent, mockery dripping from every syllable. It was both awe-inspiring and appalling that she could be so callous after such circumstances. _

_It was though death herself had graced their company._

_Death continued to advance towards them. _

_Completely ignorant to the warning, her heavy steps scuffed the gravel at a steady pace. __**"Sakura Haruno, by order of the Konohagakure Military Police, we implore you to stand down immediately, or else we will take necessary action! This is your last warning! Stand down, Sakura-san." **__The threatening aura pooling around her crackled slightly, even though her step never wavered. It was the only sign of reaction she gave, apart from the resolute determination to approach. _

_The signal was given. Needles of chakra were released under command, aligned to kill. Dozen's of eyes tracked their progress through the air, anticipating the impact that never came. Instead, Sakura sported a shield, constructed with deft fingers at the last possible moment. Stalling with shock, the archers observed the arrows bobbing languidly in the projection. They had never seen such a technique employed. The behaviour of chakra was almost alien to them. Their curiosity was cut short however, when within less than a second, their weapons bounced from the surface of the shield and flung back at them. _

_Even on the brink of death, their horror didn't fade. Several managed to avoid the attack, only to witness their comrades being brutally massacred by their own incompetence. _

_For Sakura however, there was minimal time to scrutinise their response. The brisk 'tak' of sandals behind her was the only indication of an attack before the tongue of a boot connected with her ear. A clean snap echoed through the street, causing those in the vicinity to cringe in pity. It was a humiliating death for any shinobi. If Sakura survived this, not only would she spend her remaining days under lock and key, but the shame of being overpowered would haunt her pride. That is, if she were vaguely normal. _

_The kunoichi, who had executed the blow, stared with repulsion. Sakura's neck, which had previously crooked at an abnormal angle, was now healing itself at a rapid pace. She shielded her eyes when the luminescent halo of chakra converged at her cousin's head. Predatory growling vibrated deep in Sakura's chest, her spine aligning with a sickening crunch. Rolling her neck, her animalistic cries echoed through the street. Any hope at victory shrivelled at the sound. _

_They were dealing with a demon. _

_Little did they know however, that Sakura was struggling with her own.

* * *

_

Have your socks been blown off yet? If not, I'm going to do some serious huffing and puffing in later chapters. They will come off damnit. This is part one of the flashback and the next update will be riddled with angst and tension. yatah!

Jeez, there's been a rather weighty gap between updates, eeeeeppp. Oh well, if my family finds my body, mauled to shreds from readers, then all of the nice reviewers can have my CD collection. I'm afraid my mattress and pillow will be going into the next life with me. :D But anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter, you bunch of candy sprinkles.

I was also literally gob-smacked when I saw the amounts of reviews for the last chapter…you guys are absolutely AWESOME! I hope that this update lives up to the last in success :P All the thanks in the world to: **SasukeSakuraxXXxItachiSakura, ****TeenageCrisis****, ****madjane****, ****Mrs.UchihaItachi-hime****, ****yuki san1****, ****HinataHyuuga211****, ****aznkitty180****, ****Alone in a Blizzard****, ****Luka1Sakura****, ****Sakura4eva****, ****SilverMononoke****, ****ItaSaku29****, ****Luka1Sakura****, ****SakuraGaara****, ****tinderbox101****, ****Vithika****, ****aGreatPenName****, ****sakurastears****, ****chnoelle****, ****Icecream Skittles Addict**** and Animeprincess514! **Not forgetting the kick ass people who alerted and put hindrance to favourites; (sob) I love you people (sob)

Please review! All writers know how much it means to receive one if only a few words of encouragement or constructive comment. Ya hear that flamers? I beg of you, only friendly words! If you ignore my warning, then my grandma will growl at you…yeah, _then_you'll be sorry, heh.

Oh and expect the start to a **new story**soon…hence the lateness of this one (woah). Don't fret however; hindrance is still in progress! Till next time, stay safe and be kind to animals wink.


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